Beautiful Disasters
by X-Xepher-X
Summary: A boy who lost his limbs to save his family. A girl who lost her sight to see her brother again. This was the price the Whitewood siblings paid to bring someone back from the dead. It was the price that lead them to the glory and disaster of the military. What happens when their fates get tangled up with the Elrics? One thing is for sure: They're not afraid to shed some blood.
1. The Day We Became Creatures

**Summary: A boy who lost his limbs to save his family. A girl who lost her sight to see her brother again. This was the price the Whitewood siblings paid to bring someone back from the dead. It was a price that would lead them to the glory and disaster of the military. What happens when their fates get tangled up with the Elric brothers? One thing is for sure: They're not afraid to shed some blood to get what they want.**

* * *

 _|Chapter 1: The Day We Became Creatures|_

* * *

 _1907_

It was a beautiful day for the little girl.

She could hardly stop giggling. She let the wind carry her raven black hair through the sunlight of the day. Her clear blue eyes squinted in joy as she danced across the field of lush grass and quaint flowers. Even if her shoes drowned in mud, she didn't stop frolicking. It was like at that moment the entire world belonged to her.

A wide, innocent smile crossed her face as she carefully tied the ends of the flower stems, making a flower crown out of small, vibrant roses. She gasped as a thorn sliced through her thumb, causing tears to welt up within the eight year old's eyes. With a soft whine, she shoved her bloodied thumb in her mouth and continued on the soft white flower crown. When she returned her thumb from her mouth, a small, red cut laid on the print of her thumb. It stung with a furious bite, yet the little girl held back her tears. Instead, her smile returned as she tied the last end of the flower crown. She giggled and raised the tied roses to the sky, letting the sunshine joy and and goodness upon them. That's what her mother always said, anyways.

"Brother!" She called out "brother, I'm done!"

She quickly wiped her bloodied finger of her dress and darted to the small house. It was a rather quaint house, built for a small family of perhaps three or four. Very few windows lined its walls, instead were taken up by crawling green ivy and light, smooth stone. Flowers and plants sat abundantly all around the house, a garden of beauty and shade.

The clear blue eyed girl hopped up to the door knob and swung it open, her flower crown tight in her fist.

"Brother!" She called out "brother, where are you?"

With no answer, she rushed through the hallway and glanced through each doorway.

"Grandma? Do you know where Alric is? Or you still out at the market?" She asked, as though someone would actually answer her. It didn't take her long to inspect every single room in the house, it wasn't like it had its rest to be discovered. With a sigh, she huffed and crossed her arms. She hopped into a chair and let her head slam into the table.

"Where could big brother be…?" She mumbled to herself. Her eyes widened in realization.

The little eight year old girl nearly fell from her chair as she burst through the door again, revealing the outside world. She ran to the back of the house, and nearly skidded into a giant, wooden shed that lead to the bottom of the house. A smile of relief crossed her face as she saw the lock open, and tossed in a forest in tall grass.

"Here you are!" She exclaimed. That smile soon fell and quickly turned to frustration as she struggled to even lift the door. With a big huff, she swung the giant door open, knocking her off her feet. She didn't even bother to cry as she usually did. She was on mission.

"Brother?" She called out as she darted into the cellar "Are you doing Alchemy again brother? Without me?!"

She narrowed her eyes and pouted like any little girl would. More determined than ever to give her big brother a flower crown, she narrowed her eyes and stomped her way down the steps.

"Brother, if you're doing alchemy down there, it won't be pretty!" She yelled "I made something for you too! St-"

She made it down the last step and saw everything. She stepped down and saw the chaos and peace of the basement, and rolled up into one sick, room.

She saw the circle.

"B-b-bro-brother…" Were the only works that the little girl could muster. Her eyes widened and trembled as much as her body did. The flower crown fell from her hand and rolled off the steps, next to a little green t-shirt and brown pants, deprived of anone to wear them. Next to the circle.

"Brother!" She screamed out. Tears streamed from her eyes, coating her face. She slid right next to the forgotten pile of clothes and clung onto them with all her might.

"Brother! Alric!" She cried out from her painfully raw throat "Where are you!?"

Then she heard a groan.

A gasp escaped her throat, causing the empty clothes to float out of her hand and back to the ground. She slowly turned her head, and stared in terror at the center of the circle.

"A-ah…." She couldn't scream at the top of her lungs. She couldn't cry out all of her tears. She couldn't even run away. Not with the monster in the circle.

Whatever flesh or skin it has was a charred black color. Its decayed bones stuck out from its deprived body, like fragile sticks in a pile of leaves. It stunk of decayed flesh, as though it was left to rot for months. And it's eyes. It's godforsaken eyes. They were just two empty holes in its skull, black and never ending.

She screamed,

"No!" She sobbed. She rushed back to the pile of her brothers clothes and buried her face into its fabric "you couldn't have! You couldn't! We were supposed to do it together! Together! TOGETHER!"

Her raw, shrill voice echoed through the cellar, a pathetic cry for help that no would would have heard. Through her blurry tears, she stated down at the little white flower crown, lightly bruised but still thorny nonetheless. Her eyes shot open.

"I can't lose you! Not you too!" She yelled out. She snatched the flower crown from the floor and sliced through her fingers. She sliced through every fingertip and let her warm blood flow from her body.

"I only have you! I want you back!" Her shaky fingers formed a small seal upon the center of the green shirt, letting a few drops of blood fall onto his pants and onto the ground. Terror filled every inch of her being. She didn't know what would happen the moment she held her hands together. She didn't care.

"I WANT TO SEE MY BROTHER AGAIN!"

The little girl slammed her bloody hands together.

Everything from then on was a complete blur. She felt pain. She felt terror. She felt everything. Then she felt nothing. She felt like her soul was ripped out from her chest and stuffed back into the tiny, pathetic container that was her body. She saw everything. She saw the truth.

Then she saw nothing.

"B-brother?" Her hands clawed at the floor, desperately looking for anything "brother, are you here?"

Everything was coated in darkness. Everything was just a black, blank slate of the shadows of anything that came her away.

Her eyes widened as she heard a painful gurgle followed by the sound of a liquid drenching the floor. A gasp escaped her throat, causing her to reach out her hands in desperate search of the gut wrenching sound. She slammed her hands into the floor. She felt something warm and wet, yet not even the palm of her hands could be her eyes. It was all black.

"Ly...Lysandra…"

That voice. It was the voice she searched for.

"Brother!" She yelled "Brother! You're alright!"

"No...Lysan...Lysandra…" Alric's voice escaped his mouth weakly, as though his words were too much to bear.

"Brother, where are you? Everything is dark. Where are you?"

She continued crawl on her hands and knees, and shuffled through the mysterious wet puddle that swallowed her hands and knees. A smile of relief finally came to her face as she bumped into something warm. It felt like warm skin. Warm flesh.

Alric's eyes widened "Lysandra...your...your…"

"Get up and turn the lights on, brother…" Lysandra said weakly. She let her small, delicate hands trail across her brothers body. Her nails trailed down his stomach down to the highest point of his leg. When she continued however, her hand slammed into the liquid.

"Brother…" Her eyes widened "What are you…"

She brought her liquid covered hands to her mouth, and licked the substance like any other child. Right when the substance touched her tongue, she froze.

She threw up everything in her stomach

It tasted like blood.

"Where are your legs!?" The little girl screamed out. Her hands slammed into the giant puddle of blood that surrounded her brother. She clawed at Alric's body like a ferocious animal looking for its dinner. She found his shoulders, and desperately crawled her hands to his arms. Yet again, when his shoulder ended, so did his arm.

"BROTHER! YOU'RE ARMS! YOU'RE LEGS! WHERE ARE THEY!?" She cried out. Hot, steamy tears flooded from her small face, falling right into of her defenseless brothers face. Alric coughed, letting more blood spurt from his mouth and splatter onto Lysandra's horrified face.

Alric let his tired, emerald green eyes wander around his sister. It seemed they were the only thing working on his own body. But on his sister...

His eyes snapped open in terrified realization. "S-sister...your eyes...they're...white…"

"TURN ON THE LIGHT!" She screamed "I NEED TO SEE YOU'RE ALRIGHT BROTHER, PLEASE!"

Alric could hardly do anything to cease his sisters inhuman cries. He could hardly kick her with his legs are simply stumps. He could hardly slap her if his arms were simply shoulders. He could hardly do anything. He couldn't even scream high out to the heavens for help. So, with nothing else to do, his once clear, brightly lit emerald green eyes eyes settled back into their tired state.

Unknown to the little girl who couldn't see her brother, her flower crown sat soaked in a puddle of dark red blood. The once vibrant, white petals were sagging with the color of her brothers blood. A beautiful crimson red.

"What...have we done?" Alric whispered. He closed his tired eyes, ready to die. However, he knew fate was much too cruel to let that happen, even for the amount of blood that swam outside his body.

It was a disastrous day for the young boy.

* * *

 **Hey, I hoped you enjoyed this first chapter of this story. I wasn't planning to write a story for FMA, but I got addicted to it pretty fast. So, here I am. It took me a while to pick some characters and personal storyline for this fic, but after some thinking (and going through at least three different arcs), I thought a sibling centered relationship would work well. I've been wanting to write one for a while, so this seemed like the time and place to do it.**

 **Here's the general premise:**

 **-This will be a combination of the 2003 and 2009 anime. This will mainly follow FMA Brotherhood with some of the 2003 version of it sprinked in here and there. I personally like Brotherhood better, but I did like certain aspects that FMA 2003 had.**

 **-As you might have already seen, this is an OC X Alphonse fic as well. This is not the focus of the entire story, but it is apart of it. I'm not much of a romance writer, so I guess this is my way of experimenting with relationships and such. Don't worry, I won't rush into things (I tend to take things slow in general anyhow...)**

 **So that's it! Should I continue? I hope you enjoyed and I hope you stick around! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	2. The Sower and The Reaper

_|Chapter 2: The Sower and The Reaper|_

* * *

 _1914_

Lysandra loved visiting the command center.

She didn't really know why. In fact, she should have hated it. Voices and noises constantly bounced of the walls, turning into a complete mess of sound by the time it entered her ear. She hardly knew what the place looked like, even with her brother's descriptions. She could hardly even wander the place without clinging onto Alric's arm. Yet, when her brother said he wanted her to come with him to the Central command center, excitement filled her body.

"Alric…" she trailed off, as though she attempted to come up with some hint of a conversation.

The black haired teen blinked in surprise, as though he was spooked out of his thoughts "Yeah?"

"...What are we having for dinner?"

Lysandra could practically feel Alric frown. Mainly because a frown did frame his face "We ate breakfast an hour ago. How could you possibly think about dinner this early?"

She smirked "Because, you said you bought the good meat from the market. I'm sure it'll make a delicious stew with the carrots and potatoes"

Alric groaned "Don't even think about it, sister"

"But I finally learned the layout of the apartment!" Lysandra protested "I won't burn anything again, I promise!"

"Then I'm sure you know how to escape when you do set it on fire"

Lysandra frowned at first, but soon, a smile crossed her face once more. With a small giggle, she lightly shoved Alric.

"Oh brother, you're terrible!" The black haired teen cried out, until another giggle crossed her lips. Her brother couldn't help but bring a small, tiny smirk to his own face as well. But, as fast as it went, it disappeared.

"Yeah…" Alric paused, and brushed his fingers through his incredibly long, parted hair until it ended right at his back in a loose, wavy ponytail.

"Yeah…" Lysandra responded with a warm smile, assuming her brother was doing the same. She clung onto his arm tighter. It was only then she frowned.

"Alric, we should visit Rush Valley to have your auto mail adjusted. We haven't be there in over a year. I'm sure it's rusting by now" Lysandra pointed out.

"Eh," Alric shrugged "It's fine. The mechanics of my limbs feel fine, and they do their job"

"It's going to break a leg or arm one of these damn days…" Lysandra trailed off "You've grown taller anyways. You're arms and legs are too short for your body "

"How do you know?"

"Don't take me as an blind idiot. It's obvious when I heal you"

"Ah right. Sorry"

"It's alright," Lysandra sighed "If your going to worry about me, let me worry about you"

"Yes…" Alric softly replied. He let his narrowed, emerald green eyes stare blankly into the distance. He didn't fixate onto the multiple soldiers the lined the hallway, nor the wall at the end. He simply stared, as though he was looking at absolutely nothing. He was sure that was how Lysandra felt once her dark green eyes turned white.

"Whitewood is that you?!"

That voice. It rammed itself right into Alric's tender, surprised ears like a giant drill to a piece of paper. It was horribly familiar. It was that voice that droned on and on and on until he wanted to choke the life out of its source. He was normally a patient man. Extremely patient. 15 day research binges were nothing to him. His patience and sanity all disappeared the moment HE opened his mouth.

Lysandra widened her white, glazed eyes "Oh, is that-"

"Yes…" Alric groaned with a fiery passion "It is"

With a frown, Alric snapped his head around and firmly raised his hand to his forehead "Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. What a...pleasure it is to see you"

Lysandra raised his hand and waved in what she hoped to be the general direction "Hi Lieutenant Hughes. What brings you here?"

"My job, of course!" Hughes exclaimed "What about you two? I thought you and your brother there wouldn't be back from the west for another couple of days"

"I pretty much quelled the uprising in that city in the west," Alric explained ever so casually, as though he barely lifted a finger to help the city "It turned out the leading Lieutenant over there was inciting rebellions to climb up the ladder. It's not all perfect and peaceful, but after I got the call to go back to Central, I came straight here"

"Ah, so that's why a squadron was called out…" Hughes paused in thought, scratching his light beard. His happy, joyous smile soon disappeared, as though someone steamed it off his face and stuck a frown on his mouth. "A lot has happened when you were gone, Reaper"

Lysandra blinked in surprise. It was always shocking to her how the Lieutenant could at one moment gush and paise his little girl, and the next be stoic and serious about anything on his mind. It was like the guy had a switch on him he constantly flipped to change his personality. It was hard to tell what was really...him.

Alric carefully leaned into Hughes, taking careful notice of the soldiers that walked carelessly passed him "What do you mean? Are you talking about Isaac McDougal and the incident in Central? I saw it in the paper"

"That too, but, that isn't my main point"

"Humor me, then"

"Transfer purge. A lot of guys like you are getting transferred out of the central commanded center into smaller centers around the state. I'm lucky it's not going to affect me" Hughes softly replied. Alric automatically assumed that his family was on the Lieutenant's mind the moment those words left his mouth

"State Alchemists?" He asked.

"Mainly younger soldiers like yourself. The higher ups are saying you're more flexible and all that"

Alric squinted his emerald green eyes in thought. It seemed odd to him, transfer so many people. He couldn't afford to get transferred. He barely settled into his new apartment. After years of taking refuge in hotels or the Hughes' home, he finally found a place to call home. Was this why the Brigadier General called him on such short notice? In the middle of a case? Worry began to fester deep inside his mind. And he didn't have time for that.

Although thoughts gnawed at his mind, Alric covered it up with a simply smirk "Well, thanks for the heads up. I better get to General Grand. I'd hate to keep him waiting, with his temper and all"

Hughes opened his mouth as Alric tugged his sister down the hall, hoping to avoid what he knew what was coming. Yet, not even fate would let him have a break.

"Oh, well, since I helped you and all that…." Like a ninja, Hughes sprinted up right in front of the siblings and shoved a little photo of his daughter right in front of their faces.

Alric was not pleased.

Lysandra had no idea what was going on.

"Won't you just take a look at my itty bitty little girl?" Hughes gushed like a teenager over her crush, as though his daughter's smile was so bright would blind everyone in sight "Elicia has gotten so big and cute since you two have been out!"

"It's been 2 weeks…" Alric softly growled, causing an anxious tear of sweat to run down his face.

"Um…Lieutenant Hughes..." Lysandra anxiously trailed off. She couldn't see Hughes precious daughter even if she tried. Not even her little chubby cheeks or her awe-inspiring smile would have been enough to return her sight. It was unfortunate for the Lieutenant, in the very least.

"It's such a shame you can't see my little Elicia, Lysandra!" Hughes cried in utter pity, as though his daughter was the 8th wonder of the world "Here! I'll describe her again for you! Elicia has the brightest, most dazzling smile that makes everyone's knees go weak with-"

"Thank you Lieutenant, we better get going!" Alric suddenly exclaimed. Before Hughes could even continue putting his daughter on a pedestal, the black haired State Alchemist yanked his sister and quickly dragged her down the hall. Out of sight and hopefully out of mind.

For now. A little bit of him hoped the transfer rumors were true.

It didn't take long for the Whitewood siblings to rush to the Brigadier General's office and practically lock themselves in. Lysandra didn't mind Hughes' love for his daughter as much as Alric did, but there was a point in every young teen's life where a line had to be drawn. Maybe it was the photo, she thought. So, with one less worry brewing in their minds, they made themselves comfortable. Or as comfortable as they could have been sitting inches from the Iron-Blood Alchemist.

Alric could feel the man stare into his soul with his black beady eyes. He felt like he was about to rip out his gauntlets and yank his heart right out of his chest. Lysandra could actually feel the stern coldness that radiated from the man. Even if Alric had been under his jurisdiction ever since he became a State Alchemist...General Grand never became less intimidating. He just became more scary.

Grand tapped his large, meaty fingers together, as though he was lost in thought "Why is your sister here, Whitewood?"

Alric swallowed the lump in his throat and sighed "You called on short notice, sir. We figured it was important and would affect both of us. Lysandra does aid me on cases, after all"

"Very well," Grand stood up, along with a small stack of papers in his hands. Although the sheets were normally sized, they looked like mere notecards in his hands "I'm certain you've heard the rumors that have been brewing around the command center, correct?"

He nodded "Yes, sir"

"Then I'll be blunt," Grand carefully stacked the papers against the desk into a neat, clean stack before he stuck it out towards the younger State Alchemist "You're being transferred to the Eastern Command Center"

"But-" Alric was about to leap out of his chair and argue endlessly about the transfer. With no real point in doing so, he sighed and snatched the papers out of his hands, "Permission to speak?"

"Permission granted"

"...Who will be my superior officer?"

"You'll be under the justification of Roy Mustang," Grand explained.

"The Flame Alchemist, sir?" Alric's emerald green eyes flickered in slight curiosity. Everyone knew about the Flame Alchemist. Anyone that was anyone on the military knew about Mustang. He was loved and hated in similar numbers. Everyone knew him became of the Ishvalan war. Deep inside, he was glad he wasn't apart of that entire mess.

"Yes. From what I have gathered, you will be in good hands. He's familiar with young State Alchemists. He helped put the Elric brothers on the map"

"Elric brothers hm?" Alric growled in a deep, angered tone "That damn Fullmetal…"

Grand raised his brow "Is there something wrong?"

Lysandra smiled anxiously "Oh, it's nothing to be concerned of sir. It's just my brother has a certain...well, grudge against the Fullmetal Alchemist. My brother used to be the youngest State Alchemist at 14 if you could recall. Then the Fullmetal Alchemist earned the title of State Alchemist at 12, beating my brother's record"

"Damn kid…" Alric growled furiously. Although he was boiling mad on the outside, he was wallowing in self pity on the inside.

"Your only two years older than him, Alric…" Lysandra mumbled.

"Anyhow…" Alric managed to swallow whatever anger and frustration he had towards the blond Alchemist and straightened out like the good little dog of the military he was "May I ask why I'm being transferred? It wouldn't be a good move for you if it's power you're looking for, sir. A man with two State Alchemists that are considered protégés under his belt is bound to climb up the ranks fast. And to the east, no less"

General Grand actually chuckled "You act as though I made that decision. Believe it or not, someone else made that decision"

Alric widened his eyes "You mean the Fuhrer asked for this?"

"Perhaps," The little smirk that hide under his pointed mustache disappeared like the wind. His razor sharp eyes suddenly pierced into Alric's emerald green orbs, causing the teen to blink "That's enough questions. You two days to transfer out of Central and into the East. Understand, Reaper?"

Alric wanted to argue back. He wanted to yell at his superior, shout at him like a foolish little kid who couldn't get what he wanted. He had plenty of excuses up his sleeve. Yet, even he knew that wouldn't be enough to change anything. Instead of yelling until his face turned beet red, he hopped to his feet and gave the General a firm salute.

"Yes, Brigadier General Grand," Alric replied "It was pleasure working under your jurisdiction for the time being"

"It was a pleasure to have you, Whitewood," Grand stuck out his hand "I sincerely hope you have a good career"

Alric seemed to hesitate as Grand raised his hand for a formal handshake. It was like the entire concept of a handshake was foreign to him. He quickly shook his head and took his hand. Like an equal.

"Yes...sir"

The rest of the day seemed like a complete blur to the young State Alchemist and his sister. One minute he took Lysandra's arms and led her outside the General's office, the next he was packing his books into boxes as his new apartment. Or rather former apartment

He sighed as he carefully stacked another book into his little box, already overflowing with various novels and journals. His back sore and tender, he slowly stood up to his feet and stretched, causing his various auto mail body parts to squeak loudly in response. With a yawn, he picked up the box and simply dropped it onto the nearest table he could find.

"Goddamnit…" He yawned as he took to a chair "We just got this place. This was going to be our home, Lysandra. We were going to have a home"

Lysandra frowned as she carefully trailed her fingers across the table, and set down a cup of tea "It's not the end of the world. We never really had a home anyways"

"Yeah, we did. Then we had to screw it all up" Alric snapped back.

"Oh…" she brushed her fingers over her eyelids "Right…"

"Sorry. That was uncalled for, I got my damn hopes up"

"It's alright to be hopeful. If we weren't, would we even bother to put so much effort to get the things we lost that day?"

That day. It was the only way the siblings referenced it. It wasn't called by its date, nor its year. It wasn't even called by what happened in that day. It was simply called that day. That's all Alric and Lysandra could bear calling it.

"Heh," Alric chuckled. It was deprived of any humor.

"What?" Lysandra raised her brow.

"Do ever you think if what we did that day worked...Mom and Dad would have stopped fighting?"

Lysandra paused "...Honestly, I don't know. I was certain that if we brought Jericho back to life it would solve all of our problems. I mean, that's why we did in the first place.

"Oh god, we were so ignorant, weren't we?" Alric smiled. It was a grin that had the joy sucked out of it.

"We were kids. With our parents fighting over him and grandma always out at the market, we didn't know any better"

"Yeah, a couple of kids with the power of Alchemy. It's like giving us a log cabin and a couple lighters. It was bound to be a disaster from the start"

"I suppose…" Lysandra trailed off "On that note, have you read up on anything to get us back to normal?"

Alric squinted in thought, attempting to remember the last book he bothered to crack open. He stood up and reached for his black trench coat, hung lazily on the chair beside him. From its pockets, he pulled out a small leather bound notebook, bursting at the seams with various colored papers. He briefly flipped through its contents, causing it's bound pages to creak with strain.

"I've been researching human transmutation and a little more bio-alchemy directly if you remember," Alric replied, letting his emerald eyes scan through the notebook "It's a taboo, so there's not much information out there in the libraries. I haven't been getting anything useful from that"

"Oh…" Lysandra's face fell. To hide her disappointment, she took a long sip of the tea. Not even that however, could hide her expression from her brother.

Alric frowned "Come on, don't get all sad and sobby just yet. I've found something better"

"Hm?" Lysandra's blank, white eyes lit up in curiosity.

"Something that's powerful enough to bypass all laws of Alchemy, how does that sound? It comes at a hefty price, but people trample over each other everyday. We only use each other to get what we want. I'm tired of being walked over and used. It's time for us to finally come on top!"

Lysandra chuckled "Don't tell me your going to rant about that again"

Even if Lysandra couldn't quite see it, Alric glared at his sister "You know it's true. You have to pull someone else down if you want to come out on top. I know it and you know it. It's the cruel truth of this world. With the stone…"

A grin came over his face, a real grin. He could practically imagine the power, the glory, anything if he got that stone. He could get his legs and arms back and walk without relying on others. She could get her sight back and see him again. He didn't care about rising up the military, he honestly didn't like it. He didn't care about ruling anything, he honestly didn't care about anyone else. Everything and everyone was just apart of his plan, to be used and exploited. It was like Alchemy to him: If he wanted something, he had to give up something of equal value. In this case, use something to get something.

The stone wouldn't make him feel useless anymore.

"With the stone…" He paused, letting the thoughts swirl about in his mind "we can be normal again"

Alric furiously flipped through his journal, and pulled out small sheet of folded paper. An eager smile embedded itself on his face as he slowly unloaded the paper, revealing a simple drawing of a shiny, little red stone.

"We're going to find the Philosopher's stone"

* * *

Colonel Mustang thought the surprises of the day had finally come to an end.

First, he was saddled up by a pile of paperwork that magically appeared on his desk after his lunch break. Second, he had to attend a meeting that seemed to come out of nowhere (Not even Lieutenant Hawkeye remembered anything that resembled a meeting in his schedule). And third, the Fullmetal kid came to him begging for another lead to get his and his brother's body back.

Tired and with growing annoyed with the new surprises of the day, the Colonel left the thick of paperwork to simmer and rot on his desk. He sent the occasional glare to the stack of important papers, as though they would sign themselves. Yet, without a pen nor a single writing utensil in his hand, those papers would simply sit on his desk. At the end of the day however, he knew he would be furiously signing those documents.

So, it was only natural that his forehead pulsated with frustration once his phone rang feverishly. It was like the constant ringing was begging him to lost his damn mind. With a sigh, he picked up the phone and answered it as best as he could.

"Hello, this is Colonel Mustang," He answered "Can I help you?"

His eyes flickered open as the voice on the other side practically rammed itself into his ear "Brigadier General Basque Grand? How unexpected of you to call"

The General droned on and on and on the other side of the line, as though he had all the time in the world. That growing curiosity that the Colonel once had slowly vanished into thin air and carried itself away outside his window as General Grand continued to talk about what seemed like nothing to him. Until he brought up a transfer, of course.

At the mere peep of a name, Colonel Mustang scrambled for a pen and paper and furiously wrote down the words that rolled out of the General's mouth. By the end of the entire conversation, Mustang couldn't help but bring a small smirk to his face.

"Yes, thank you for informing me. I'll begin preparations for his transfer" The Colonel's smirk still lined his face after he set down the phone back into the receiver. With a sigh of relief, he stretched his arms over his head and leaned back into his chair.

A transfer to his unit. It was the exact thing that would get him that promotion he was itching for.

"I'm coming in, sir" A familiar voice echoed through his office. Right as the door creaked open, the Colonel quickly flipped himself over the pile of papers on his desk and grabbed a pen. Like the good little Colonel he attempted to look like, he let a heavy frown sit in his face as he blankly looked over the documents over his desk, as though he already stared at it for hours.

"Lieutenant" Mustang blankly greeted, as he obliviously signed a paper. Lieutenant Hawkeye replied with a brief, stern nod before she shut the door. With seemingly dull, deep brown eyes, she approached the bookcase and began to fumble through its contents.

"Is there something on your mind, sir?" Hawkeye asked, as she pulled out a thick document.

"Why would do you ask?" The Colonel replied, refusing to draw his eyes from his stack of papers.

"First of all, you haven't finished your paperwork that I left on your desk 3 hours ago. And second, I believe your receiver is not set properly"

Mustang let his black eyes wander up to his phone, causing a slight groan to escape him. Sure enough, the receiver for the phone was mangled and twisted, as though some guy who never touched technology in his life attempted to use it. With a seething glare that should have melted the phone where it was, he shoved it back in place.

"I want you and Lieutenant Breda to prepare for a new transfer from Central," Mustang ordered "Gather a handful of cases from Fullmetal and make a new file for him"

"Who exactly is our new transfer, if I may ask?" Lieutenant Hawkeye asked as she went back through the bookcase once more.

"I'm not quite sure if you remember the old protege before the Elric's. Does Alric Whitewood sound familiar?"

"Oh, yes. The Reaping Alchemist" Hawkeye pulled out a few more files and documents before she straightened her back "I believe he received a recommendation under Brigadier General Grand and received his State license when he was 14"

Mustang raised his brow "You sure do remember the kid eloquently"

"It's my job, sir"

"Two young and respected State Alchemists under my thumb…" Mustang trailed off. He let his thoughts wander around his mind as he carefully pressed his fingers together. It was like his calling card to Central command. If he wanted to move up and become the Fuhrer, this was certainly the time. He just had to make sure the famed Reaper didn't have the disposition like the Elric's. Or in the very least that he wasn't a hot head like the Fullmetal.

"Do you have any other information on Whitewood?" Mustang asked, letting his black eyes draw up to the Lieutenant. Hawkeye immediately drew her eyes to the ceiling, attempting to uncover old memories.

"Let's see…" She trailed off "I believe he specializes in bio-alchemy, more specifically plants and other living creatures. His younger sister specializes in Alkahestry for medical purposes, such as healing. This leads me to believe that the Whitewood siblings work on cases with one another like the Elric brothers"

"Alkahestry, eh?" Mustang repeated in thought.

"Yes sir," Hawkeye nodded as she draw herself away from the bookshelf, a hefty amount of books and sheets tucked in her arm "That's all I know"

The Colonel sighed "Very well then. Start collecting cases for the Whitewoods. I want to see how capable they are in my own eyes"

"Then perhaps assigning a joint case with the Elrics would be better," Hawkeye suggested "After they return from Lior, of course"

"Maybe…"

"I'll be on my way then sir," Lieutenant Hawkeye slowly made her way to the door, ready to handle the multiple tasks under her belt. Right as her hands hovered over the door knob, she paused in place "And please do your paperwork. I don't like overtime as much as you do"

"I never said I liked overtime!" Mustang exclaimed, pointing his pen accusingly towards the calm and collected Hawkeye "In fact, I despise it!"

"The act like it" With her last words, Hawkeye shuffled out, leaving the Colonel boiling with a new found frustration.

"Goddamn it…" Mustang growing as he stabbed his pen into his first sheet of many to sign. The ink swam out of his on contact, causing a small fit to appear on his signature line. Instead of scribbling out his name as he always did, he kept his writing utensil firm still. He let his other hand rest of his chin, and letting his new thoughts simmer and boil in his mind.

The Elric brothers and the Whitewood siblings. Something exciting was sure to happen. He didn't know quite what yet, but the aching feeling in his stomach said something was bound to occur. With the Elric brothers fascination Philosopher's stone, Mustang knew that young State Alchemists didn't join the military purely out of serving their country. Mustang knew that well enough. Fullmetal had his reasons as the Reaper did.

It was just a matter of seeing what made the Whitewoods tick.

* * *

 **Thank you willowmoon88 for your review! And of course to all of you who followed and favorited!**

 **So, there's introductions (More formal introductions, I suppose). I decided to switch up Basque Grand's characterization a little bit and wrote him what I imagined him from Brotherhood than from the original series. I thought he was a decent guy in Brotherhood (Even if he did only have a few lines), so that's how I wrote him as.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	3. The Crossroads

_|Chapter 3: The Crossroads|_

* * *

"Brother...are we close?"

Lysandra sighed as she leaned towards the window. Although the spanning landscape should have made any other person be amazed at its beauty, she couldn't see a speck of it. The lush grass and the tall mountains were only a sheet of black in her own eyes. That's what she missed the most after losing her sight: she couldn't let her eyes wander out a simple window and let her mind be consumed by what stood on the other side of the glass.

She tugged at her brown leather jacket exposing a dark green dress underneath. Along with black leggings and a simple pair of black shoes, she was ready to hit the town. As much as blind girl who didn't know a speck of the Eastern Command Center, that was.

It was safe to say Lysandra was bored out of her mind.

Alric barely let his emerald green eyes wander from his notebook, which he furiously scribbled in "I said yes. This is the 4th time you asked me. Frankly it's starting to get on my nerves"

The black haired teen with an unusually long ponytail sighed, and continued to write carefully in his little journal. With a hefty bound book on his lap and his tarnished notebook in the other, it was safe to say he was busy. Quite busy. Too busy to hear his sister drone on and on about when they would get to their destination.

His thin, brown leather dress shoes stretched out on the opposing seat, acting more like a foot rest than an actual seat. The brown leather trench coat that hung loosely on his body as unbuttoned, revealing a simple 3 piece suit underneath with a dark green tie underneath. He looked more ready to go on a date to a nice restaurant more than just shipping himself across the state on a train. Yet, when in doubt, the suit and trench coat was always his go to.

Lysandra squinted her eyes "When's the last time I asked?"

"Err…" Alric snapped his notebook shut, causing his fingers to squeak loudly. Seconds later, he pulled out his state pocket watch "10 minutes ago"

"This is taking forever!" Lysandra exclaimed in defeat. Like a little impatient child, she crossed her arms and sunk into her seat.

"No, your just being impatient, that's all…I don't know, find something to do" Alric bluntly replied. Without another word, snapped his notebook open again and began to feverishly write yet again.

"I don't know what to do, that's it," She mumbled "Tell me something to do"

"Stare out the window or something"

"Ha, ha, very funny," Lysandra rolled her white sheen eyes with no humor "Something realistic"

"How the hell should I know?" Alric raised his thick eyebrow.

"You should. I'm your sister. I'm blind. Deal with it" she snapped back.

It was enough to make Alric sigh with annoyance. With a painfully loud groan, he snapped his head backed in defeat. It was always her calling card, her last resort. And he hated it with a passion.

"I know!" Lysandra snapped back up from her slump "Read me something"

"Alright then," he breathed in defeat. In an instant, he stuck his own between his teeth and quickly flipped through his journal. When he found a particular page, he ripped the pen from his teeth and twirled it about his his hands.

"April 16th, 1907," he began "The human transmutation circle: The components to the successful revival of a living human includes-"

"You've already read your research journal to me 74 times already," Lysandra moaned "At the beginning, no less"

"74 times?" Alric raised his brow in absolute doubt "Your kidding me"

"It's been 7 years since you started it. It's not like I have anything else to really keep track of for you. Other than the occasional few books you borrow from the central library"

Alric let a small grin line his face, even if his proclaimed thought he was glaring right back at her. It was probably better for her to think that, he thought.

"You know what?" Lysandra voice softened "Describe the landscape for me. I've heard this part of the east is pretty. I want to hear what you think of it"

Alric didn't sigh. He didn't even groan. He simply shifted his eyes from his journal, and took in the spanning landscape for himself and his sister.

"The grass has a soft green glow to it, like our grandmother's house did when spring came around. It looks like thick, soft hair when that's carried in the wind. It seems so soft and plush. There's harsh yellow, luscious purple, and passionate orange flowers scattered across the grass, like they were painted on an like canvas. The grass is attached to shallow hills that rise up and dive down across the plains. It's like the sea...but more vibrant and touchable…"

Alric let his words swim around his sister's mind. His eyes shifted to Lysandra, who had a gentle smile fixated on her mouth. She looked as content as she ever was. She looked so calm, he thought. It was rare to see her like that.

"That sounds...beautiful" Lysandra softly replied. She let her elbow lean against the window as she obliviously stared outside. The soft, yellow rays of the sun gently beat on her face, giving it a light, healthy pink color. She stared at the sea of hills and grass at what she assumed to be outside, imagining it all within her head.

"Yeah. It really is" Alric replied. His eyes didn't draw back to his notebook this time around. Instead, they stayed glued firmly onto the landscape.

"When I get my sight back, can we do this again?"

"Yeah...of course"

For the rest of the trip, not a word was said between the Whitewood siblings.

It didn't take much longer for the two to reach East City. After a simple ride over a particularly large hill and a over a deep, dark ravine, the two found themselves dragging their luggage from the train into the busy train station. All Lysandra could hear was a wall of noise, comprised of countless conversations, squeaking trains, and various foot steps. Either way, it certainly brought annoyance to her. Not even a walking stick would get her out of the station, let alone prevent her from being trampled. So, with a few suitcases strapped to her hands, she desperately onto Alric as though he was the knight in her story that would save her from the villains that were the random citizens.

Alric carefully slipped and shoved his way through the thick bubble that was the crowd of people who entered and exited the station. With luggage and his sister dragging him down, he couldn't exactly speed through the station and rush past people like bowling pins. His old automail didn't really help with that either.

"Who am I looking for again?" Alric asked as he carefully scanned the crowd near the exit of the giant station.

"Um…" Lysandra paused his thought "Lieutenant Hawkeye and Lieutenant Breda"

"I have no clue of what they look like," Altic admitted "I hope to god they have a sign…"

Sure enough, when the Whitewood siblings finally reached the exit, Alric's eyes set on two military individuals holding a sign with his surname name plastered on it. Before he ran up and burst through the crowd however, he slowed to a stroll and inspected the two officers.

"What's wrong?" Lysandra asked, raising her brow.

"Nothing," Alric replied "I'm just taking a look"

His emerald green eyes first shifted to the tall, sturdy man beside the blond woman. With incredibly short auburn hair and stern, drooping eyes, it looked as though he was ready to serve in battle anyway. Aside from the occasional sigh and scratch of his neck, of course. What really interested him of course was the woman. At first, she didn't really incite much curiosity in him. Her thick, blond hair was simply tied out of the way. Instead of the official military skirt, she opted for pants. Then he looked at her eyes. They were like two, stern holes drilled her her skull, ready to sliced down anyone and everyone who pissed her off. They were the eyes of someone who saw something they didn't wish to see. Yet...a simple kindness radiated from them. It was almost motherly.

It certainly brought curiosity to his own eyes.

Without another thought, he slammed his luggage down in the ground and lifted up his hand "Lieutenant Hawkeye and Lieutenant Breda!"

Their eyes immediately snapped to the thick crowd, and saw the teen frantically wave his hand. Catching their attention, Alric snatched his luggage and burst through the bubble of people.

A small smile crossed Lieutenant Hawkeye's face "You must be Alric. It's a pleasure to finally meet you"

Alric shook her hand "Same, Lieutenant Hawkeye"

Hawkeye's to seemed to flicker in surprise as her hand wrapped around his gloved hand. Instead of the soft, fleshy hand she expected, her palm slapped into something hard and cold. She could feel his hand squeal and squeak unnaturally as the teen shook her hand. It was a handshake she was awfully familiar with.

With a sigh, Lieutenant Breda rolled up his sleeves "You need a hand with all of that?"

"Yeah, that would help," Alric replied "I'm guessing you're Lieutenant Breda?"

"You'd guess right" Breda shrugged.

"This is my little sister Lysandra" He lifted his hand and pointed to his softly smiling sister. The Lieutenants small, welcoming smiles seemed to fade once their eyes crossed the black haired teen's white, glazed over orbs that were stuck in her head. They seemed to stare into nothingness, even if she made the effort to look up and pretend not a thing was wrong. It would have worked perhaps, that is if her blank eyes didn't state into their chests.

She stuck out her hand "It's nice to meet you"

Hawkeye paused for a moment and pieced everything together before she replied with a hefty shake. Moments later, Breda did the same.

"We should get moving. The Colonel is waiting back at East Command,"

It didn't take much longer to reach the Eastern command center. Alric nearly opened his mouth in awe right as he stepped foot on the property. It looked too far grand and big to belong to just a piece of the east. With the long, elegant entrance that lead into the firm, sturdy building, he thought it belonged in central. Not in the east. He just assumed the east had some crappy little beat up building and called it a command center.

He wasn't planning on telling anyone that, however.

So, with their stacks upon stacks of luggage tossed right outside the Colonel's office, the Whitewood siblings carefully entered Mustang's space of secultion. Like always, he pretended to look busy by frantically signing papers, as though he was attempting to look like the good Colonel he was for the teens.

"I have the Whitewoods with me, sir" Hawkeye announced as she stepped inside.

"Thanks for the help Lieutenant Breda" Alric waved through the sliver of the door.

"No problem" Breda replied with a loose grin and a slight flick of his fingers. Seconds later, Lieutenant Hawkeye shut the door, causing silence to fill the afternoon air.

Mustang's black eyes peeked over his desk like two shiny marbles looking for something to grasp on. He slowly scanned the two teens, crafting an opinion of his own. So far, his ever so clever eyes said he had another person to babysit, judging from the young looks of the teen with the long, black hair. He didn't want to even think about the smaller girl with the black wavy bob.

Mustang knew it was going to be another Elric situation.

Holding in a deep, tired sigh, Mustang set his own down, and straightened his back in his chair "Lieutenant, you're dismissed. I'll take it from here. You should get ready for the Elrics anyhow, Fullmetal and his brother should be here any minute now"

"Fullmetal…" Alric hissed under his breath in a defeated, torchered tone.

"Dear god brother…" Lysandra shook her head in disappointment.

"Very well then" Hawkeye gave a final salute before she headed right out of his office.

Mustang's eyes drew back to the siblings, who simply stared back at him. As much as Alric wanted to blurt something out and get the ball rolling, he slammed his mouth tightly shut. First impressions were everything to him. If he wanted to get all of his limbs and his sisters sight back, he couldn't screw up. It was just another part of his incredibly complex plan. Not to say it was foolproof, however.

The Colonel suddenly raised his hand "Take a seat. There's a few questions I want to ask both of you"

Alric nodded and simply collapsed into the couch. Lysandra carefully ran her fingers across the air until she felt the plush, red fabric underneath her delicate skin. With a few pats of her palm, she placed herself on the seat.

"So, you're the Reaping Alchemist" Mustang let his eyes wander to Alric.

"In the flesh, sir" Alric nodded with a grin of satisfaction.

"That's quite the title you have there. You care telling me how you earned it?" He asked with a raised brow.

Alric lifted his emerald green eyes to the wall in thought "I was surprised when I received that as my title. I have a faint idea, I suppose. I don't think it has anything to do with death anymore. Reaping in an agricultural sense is to cut wheat and other field products. I specialize in bio-alchemy so perhaps that's another reason. To reap is to harvest and use. So," Alric lifted his eyes to Mustang, letting them pierce through his demeanor "I think the Fuhrer is telling me I'm a tool of the military. The state uses me and harvests my accomplishments"

Suddenly, Alric let an anxious smile cross his face, causing him to scratch the back of his head "It's just my idea. I probably don't have a damn clue what I'm talking about"

Mustang paused before he brought his hands together "That's fine. What sort on interest do you have in the military? I understand you joined at a young age"

"Honestly," Alric shrugged dishonestly, hoping that the Colonel would buy his story like candy or cigarettes "I wanted to protect my sister and my country. It's a pretty tough world out there sir, no one is going to defend it themselves. So, here I am"

"Yes, I believe your sister is blind" Mustang replied bluntly. Right as those words left his mouth, Alric's and Lysandra's face fell.

"Oh...yeah" Lysandra trailed off, trying to think of a good lie "I've been like this since I was born, but haven't let it slow me down," she tilted her head up and smiled "I can get by"

"You're familiar with Alkahestry, is that true?"

"A little bit," she shrugged "Our father was from Xing. I know basic and some advanced healing techniques, I don't know much about medical Alchemy developed in Amestris, but I understand it shares similarities with Alkahestry. To be honest, I don't know how Alkahestry works. I just do it"

"Do you have anything else you wish to tell me?" Colonel Mustang asked. At first, at blanket of since filled the air, and weighted down on everyone's heads. At least until Alric blurted something out.

"Um, all my limbs are automail?" Alric replied questionably, as though he immediately regretted the words once they left his mouth.

"Anything e-" Mustang blinked in shock, as the words finally set into his mind "What?"

"Yeah…" He anxiously trailed off. Instant, he rolled up both of his coat selves, revealing his scratched up, metal arms that sat underneath. It was obvious they were in need of a good repair, if the many scuffs, scratches and dents didn't tick off the Colonel "It was from a train accident. Killed our parents and left me a limbless stump"

Mustang leaned over his desk in curiosity "When you say all limbs…"

"Yeah, legs too," Alric sighed as he folded up his pant legs. Sure enough, two metallic legs were revealed, more dented and scratched than his arms "it's not something I normally want to announce, sir, but being my new commanding officer and all, I thought it might be important"

"Fair enough," Mustang's eyes settled "Is there anything else?"

Alric paused as he quickly glanced at his sister. With a blank, unassuming state into the nothingness that was the wall, he shook his head "No"

"Are you certain?" The Colonel suddenly raised his voice "I won't discover anything that will jeopardize your State license? Or...worse?"

"That's uh…" Alric anxiously coughed "That's quite an unusual question"

"It's still a question"

The black, long haired teen squeezed his hands into two tight fists, causing his joints to squeak furiously. Even Colonel Mustang could hear a faint squeal escape his hands from his desk. He could spill everything. He could tell his new commanding officer the truth. He never even told the Brigadier General about his human transmutation fiasco. He never told anyone.

And he's wasn't planning on telling anyone anytime soon.

His eyes snapped open as a light shriek escaped the door. He snapped his head to the door, revealing rather annoyed pair of golden colored eyes. At first, Alric raised his brow in confusion, not knowing what they belonged to.

Then the pipsqueak and the giant suit of armor revealed itself. If Alric wasn't boiling with frustration before, he certainly was when he made the connection of the Elrics.

"Who is it?" Lysandra asked. No one dared to answer her, as thought the mere peep of the names of the Elrics would curse them for all eternity.

Edward, with his eyes casually closed and his arms over his back simply strolled in, as though the Whitewood siblings didn't even exist.

"Hey Colonel Bastard, the lead you gave us in Lior-" The golden eyed teen was about to rant on.

"Um, brother…" Alphonse trailed off, letting his echoed voice radiate from his suitor armor.

"What Al-oh…" Edward opened his eyes and turned around, revealing the Whitewood siblings. He raised his brow slightly at the black haired teen who glared back at him and his brother as though he had a bone to pick with him. A rather big bone at that.

Edward knew one thing. He was an expert at making enemies he didn't even know about.

"So...who are you?" Edward asked.

"Who am I?!" Alric growled deeply under his breath. It was enough to make Lysandra sigh and shake her head.

"These are the Whitewoods," Mustang introduced off handedly "They were transferred here from Central not too long ago. They'll be under my authority from now on"

"So… you must be Fullmetal…" Alric slowly rise from his seat with narrowed, dagger-like eyes. His emerald green eyes glared right though the two Elric brothers, as though he was attempting to murder them with just his sight. With a stern pour of his face, he walked up to the two brothers.

"Brother...this is a waste of time" Lysandra sighed. Even if she knew her words wouldn't mean a damn thing to Alric at the moment.

"Yeah, so-" Edward was about to say. Then the black haired teen strolled right past him and his abnormally tiny stature.

Alric squeezed his hands into tight fists and glared up to Alphonse, taking in his enormous height and giant build. His eyes seemed to soften as he carefully scanned the suit of armor, as though intimidation began to creep in. He simply assumed from the armor he wore, he filled it with his fleshy, muscle ridden body. If he had a human body, that was.

For the 15 year old he thought he was, he was huge.

"So...I suppose they call you Fullmetal for a reason" Alric raised his brow.

"Oh, I'm-" Alphonse was about to defend, earning a straight, raised palm from Alric. Or rather a glove and a chunk of metal he called a hand.

"Save it-" Alric snapped back, causing his emerald eyes to narrow once more. Although Alphonse couldn't quite show any emotion in his face, it was clear enough nervousness began to take home in his stomach.

The Reaping Alchemist sighed and rammed his hands in his pockets "You know, I used to be the one everyone was raving about. I was the kid everyone held up on a pedestal. I have to admit, I wasn't the most confident 14 year old ever, so I couldn't get enough praise. I was the youngest to earn the title of State Alchemist. I, Alric Whitewood earned the title of the Reaping Alchemist, and I'm a hell proud of it. Now I can't leave a command center without hearing an Elric did something extraordinary"

"But-" Alphonse was about to defend. He could practically feel his brother steaming in pure rage, even if it was a mistake everyone made

"Let me finish, I need to get this off of my chest," The black haired teen explained "At first, I wanted to send my fist into your face. I hated you. I was planning to beat you to a pulp. I thought you took away what was rightfully mine. But I realize a title is just a title. It has to be earned. You earned yours as fairly as I did mine," Alric sighed, and itched the back of his neck "What I'm trying to say is is the most belated congratulations in the history of all humanity. I'm leaving the title of the youngest State Alchemist in history in your hands. I'm hoping in good hands too, so I hope you have screwed it up yet. Congratulations, Elric"

Lysandra widened her blank eyes in utter surprise "Alric, that was…"

"Not what you expected?" Alric raised his brow with a side smirk.

"Wait, wait!" Alphonse frantically waved his hands in the air "I'm not Edward! The Fullmetal Alchemist is my older brother"

"...Older?"

The suit of armor pointed to the rather frustrated and angry pile of red clothes that was his brother. With a growling frown on his face, a pulsating forehead and angry fits ready to pummel anything in sight, furious was an understatement. He was boiling with pure rage. As time passed by, the less he cared about who would take his fists into their face.

"Meet the Fullmetal Alchemist, Reaper" Mustang replied. He didn't even bother to hide the mischievous smirk that crawled up his face

Alric could only let a tear of confused sweat run down his face as he looked far down onto Edward. He could hardly believe the he blond kid was the Fullmrtal Alchemist. The name had more of a bite to it than the kid who stood in front of him. And he was so small…

He slowly twisted his head towards Colonel Mustang "Are you telling me this angry short stack is the Fullmetal Alchemist? Not the talking tincan?"

"Short stack?!" Edward exclaimed with fury.

"Tincan...?" Alphonse mumbled in utter sadness. So, as the said tincan huddled into a ball and weeped in pity as much as a suit or armor could, Edward screamed his lungs out.

"WHO YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE NEEDS A DAMN HIGHCHAIR YOU-YOU MAN-WOMAN?!" Edward yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Man...woman?" Alric repeated in utter confusion. Yet, he couldn't help but twist his unusually long hair in his fingers.

"WHAT GUY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND HAS HAIR AS LONG AS YOU?!" The golden eyed teen angrily defended "AND YOUR HIPS ARE GIANT! THOSE ARE BIRTHING HIPS!"

"You do have long hair, Alric" Lysandra suddenly pointed out "And your figure is rather curvy for a man"

The utterly confused and hurt Alric let those words swirl about in his mind. He knew his hair was long, considering it did reach far below his waist. And he also knew his figure was a bit more feminine in nature. If it wasn't for the mild muscle definition, he would fit a dress just a bit too well. In an instant, a lush, pink color filled his cheeks "My figure is fine! And you have long hair too! Are you trying to compensate for something you RUNT?!"

"YOU LISTEN HERE YOU FREAK OF NATURE! DON'T CALL ME A RUNT!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I couldn't hear you from down there," Alric leaned over the awfully small alchemist with a mocking smile "Do I need to get the little guy a stool?"

"Call me little one more time…" Edward hissed "AND I'LL RAM THAT STOOL IN A PLACE YOU'LL _ALWAYS_ FIND IT!"

"SHUT UP!"

Suddenly, a rolled up newspaper collided with Alric's face, sending him straight to the ground. His emerald green eyes widened for a split second before his angry, pink face made contact with the floor. Right behind him, the short haired girl stood with right in back of him with a small silver whistle in the corner of her mouth and a slightly bloodied newspaper in her hand.

"You two are driving me insane with all the damn noise your making! Your screaming and crying is making my ears bleed! It's giving me a headache..." Lysandra hissed with a sigh, living the bridge of her nose. Suddenly, she lifted up the newspaper and pointed roughly towards the utterly puzzled State Alchemist. Roughly meaning inches far above his head.

"And your next Fullmetal Alchemist," she growled. She softly blew into her silver whistle and walks forward. Instead if reaching her hands out as she usually did, she kept her composure and stomped with purpose. When it seemed like she was right in front of the slightly anxious Edward, she violently slapped the newspaper.

Inches above his head.

With a growl, she slapped it again and again, lowering her aim with each angry hit. It seemed no matter how low she went, all that slammed into the paper was air. Even as a shrill sound escaped her whistle, nothing would help her lack of sight.

Edward didn't know if to feel happy, angry, or just plain sad. Maybe Alphonse had some room in his weeping corner.

"Are you done?" Colonel Mustang suddenly raised his voice. In an instant, all the teens eyes drew to their commanding officer. "Or am I going to have to babysit all of you?"

Alric picked himself off the floor and gave a salute, even as blood began to leak out of his eyebrow "No, sir"

"Yeah, sure, I'm done…" Edward softly growled as the deadly newspaper hung right over his head.

Mustang released an utterly tired sigh, as though he didn't get paid enough to babysit powerful teens "Then let's start over. If I hear anyone of you bitch and whine again, I'll get Lieutenant Hawkeye in here to kick all of your asses. Understand?"

He earned a few murmurs of agreement in response.

Alric sighed and carefully rolled down his sleeves, hiding his metal limbs "Let's try this again. I'm Alric Whitewood, the Reaping Alchemist"

"Edward Elric. Fullmetal Alchemist" Edward swiftly responded. He took Alric's hard, cold hand, causing his eyes to flicker in curiosity. He knew his fleshy limbs all too well. They weren't supposed to squeak feverishly on contact, nor feel, icy cold. Even with the brown leather gloves that lined the black haired teen's hands, it wasn't enough to hide the glaringly obvious issue with his skin. Or lack of it.

"You have automail, don't you?" Edward said.

Alric's emerald green eyes flickered wide open "Yeah, I do. How do you know?"

In an instant, the golden eyed teen rolled down his sleeve, revealing his automail glory "Let's just say I know a thing or two about a hand"

Alric let a warmer smirk cross his face "Great"

"I'm Alphonse, Ed's younger brother" The suit of armor himself introduced.

"Your pretty tall for a kid" Alric pointed out as he scanned Alphonse.

"I-I suppose…" Alphonse responded anxiously.

"How tall is he?" Lysandra asked as she rammed her silver whistle into her pocket.

"About twice my size, probably a bit less" Alric responded.

"Oh. I'm Lysandra. It's nice to meet you both" Lysandra raised her hand in what she hoped to be the general direction. Edward's eyes seemed to soften once his own golden eyes laid contact on her. Those unnatural white eyes were unmistakable for him. Any idiot would know she was blind.

"Yeah…" Edward said as he gave a hearty shake to her hand.

"It's nice to meet you too" Alphonse said as he took her hand. Lysandra widened her eyes as she felt Alphonse's cold, empty hand wrap, around her fingers. She felt the metal brush against her delicate, paled skin, causing questions to emerge in her mind

"You're wearing armor, aren't you? That's why I heard loud squeaking"

"Well…" Alphonse anxiously rubbed the back of his helmet "Yeah, I am"

He wasn't exactly lying.

"Now that introductions are out of the way, we can move on" Colonel Mustang annoyed with a sigh of relief. Seconds later, his eyes drew to the Elric "I want to talk about the Lior case. Feel free to stay Reaper, because this involves you now"

Alric blinked a few times before he took a seat "Lior? It's that city in the east right?

Edward shrugged offhandedly as he collapsed lazily into the couch "Yeah. Long story short we drove a corrupt priest out of power. It's not anything to praise or gush over"

"That's a bit arrogant…" Lysandra mumbled quietly under her breath.

"You see, father Cornell was evading the laws of equivalent exchange to control everyone in the city" Alphonse explained.

"And through religion, pretending he was the chosen one or something" Edward added on.

"Something that doesn't follow the laws of equivalent exchange…" Alric trailed off, letting his fingers crawl up to his chin in thought. It sounded awfully familiar. His emerald eyes flickered wide open in realization "You wouldn't be talking about the Philosopher's stone would you?"

Edward suddenly burst up from his seat and slammed his hands on the table "You know about the Philosopher's stone?"

Alric nodded swiftly, causing his eyes to narrow "I've been taking some of my free time to research it. I'm sorry to say I don't know much about it. I've only begun go look into it, but I'm willing to help. I need it. We need it"

"Why are you interested in the Philosopher's stone?" Alphonse curiously asked.

"That's because…" Alric anxiously trailed off, looking for a lie. No matter how much he thought, a good lie wasn't in his grasp.

"Medical purposes," Lysandra interrupted "I practice Alkahestry, which uses Alchemy for medical purposes. I'm hoping with the stone I can...get my vision and...help others with...their problems"

"That's right," Alric responded swiftly "What about you Edward? You seem awfully interested in the stone too"

"Well...you see…" Edward desperately grasped at straws looking for his own fake story. He wasn't exactly comfortable telling a couple of strangers his whole fiasco, at least without any incentive.

"It's a personal matter," Colonel Mustang suddenly rang in "There's no real purpose in informing you. It's not your problem, it's theirs"

Edward sighed a breath of relief

"Sir," Alric nodded, even if noticeable suspicion crept in his voice. He wasn't about to argue with his new superior, that would have been outright idiotic for him, his sister, and his future. Yet...no one looked for what seemed to be the most powerful stone in Amestris for nothing. Maybe even in the world.

Alric just had to keep his ears open.

"I appreciate you resolving the matter in Lior, Fullmetal" Colonel Mustang thanked anyway.

Edward shrugged offhandedly "No big deal. It's not like we did it for you"

"Right. The Philosopher's Stone. Another false lead?" Mustang raised his brow, causing the golden eyed teen to sigh.

"Yeah, after all that the stone was a fake. Even so…" Edward paused, narrowing his eyes "the power it gave Cornello was real enough. He transmuted this huge chimera right in front of us"

"A chimera?" Lysandra raised her voice.

Alphonse nodded "Yeah. I still wonder how he was able to use the stone to do that. I'm not familiar enough with the field of bio-alchemy to really understand it"

"Yeah, I'm kind of curious about that too. It might be worth looking into. Who knows," Edward shrugged yet again "maybe we'll find something that could...help us"

"Hmm" Alphonse agreed.

Alric stood up and straightened out his dark trench coat "I'm familiar with bio-alchemy"

"You know about bio-alchemy?" Alphonse asked, curiosity creeping in his voice.

"Yeah," Alric nodded "It's my specialization as a State Alchemist. I'm more a tuned to plants and other living organisms, but I do know a guy who researches chimeras if you're more interested in that. I think he lives around here…"

Edward and Alphonse glanced at each other and blinked in surprise "Huh?"

"He's right, It might help if you consulted a specialist" Mustang agreed.

"Do you remember his name Lysandra? I know it started with a 'S'..." Alric snapped his fingers in thought, causing his joints to creak and groan.

She shook her head "It's been years since we've been in East City. I'm as clueless as you are"

"The Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker" The Colonel finally said.

"Yeah, that's his name"

Mustang rose from his desk and set his large. Yet smooth hands on the table "I'll introduce you. And your coming along, Reaper. An outside source might actually help the Elrics in this case, if you say you have knowledge of biological alchemy"

"My first order under a new superior," Alric let a smirk cross his lips, causing his hands to slam into his hips "consider it done, sir"

"You would do that for us?" Alphonse replied as hope filled his voice.

Edward immediately widened his eyes in suspicion. In an instant, he shot up from his seat and pointed his accusing finger towards his superior "Ok what's the catch? You want something, don't you!"

"Don't doubt my motives!" Mustang snapped back "I'm trying to repay you for your work on the Lior case. Doing you a favor is better than being indebted to you"

As Edward continued to scream his head off and as Mustang continued to snap back as fast as his flames escaped his ignition glove, Alric carefully made his way to his sister. He could already tell she annoyance began to grow once again as a new argument invaded her ears.

"Sister," he quietly said "I want you to stay here once we set off"

"What?!" Lysandra quietly exclaimed "Why? This is important! If those two brothers are looking for the Philosopher's stone, this could mean something for us! It could be a lead!"

Alric narrowed his glimmering, emerald eyes into two deadly slits "I don't want you coming. I don't know what their planning with the stone, so I'm going to hold my own investigation. And besides," he shrugged offhandedly "You can't read. Research for the most part requires working eyes"

"That's not fair!" Lysandra snapped back "I didn't ask for my eyes to be taken away from me! And you could just read to me lik-"

"Your excuse doesn't mean anything. I didn't ask for my arms and legs to be taken away either"

Lysandra widened her eyes. It was like she nearly forgot, like the thought almost slipped out of her mind. Whether she really believed it or not, her brother was inconvenienced by his own limbs.

Alric sighed and took Lysandra's warm, small hands into his freezing, cold fingers "Just...please? I promise I'll read every thing I found at the end of each day"

"...Promise?"

"If not, I know you'll beat me bloody again. That's an incentive" Alric chuckled. Even Lysandra could hear that his voice was deprived of any humor. No matter how much her heart ached to help, she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, I'll stay. I'll ask Colonel Mustang if he could get one of his soldiers to escort me around the city. I better start mapping it out anyways" She nodded with a weak smile.

Even if it did make her feel utterly useless.

* * *

 **Thank you Cat for your review! I'm glad you're enjoying this so far!**

 **Ah...this was a fun chapter to write. It's always fun to think of what Ed would say when he rants. As well as what Al would do when someone insults his look (Dont blame me, blame the 2003 series). Well, the Elrics and the Whitewoods have finally met! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out, so I hope you find it as enjoyable as I did. I really glad people are interested in my fic, so thank you.**

 **Hope you enjoy! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	4. Honest Lies

_|Chapter 4: Honest Lies|_

* * *

It didn't take long for the two siblings to depart. After Lysandra found a sucker by the name of Havoc to cling onto to explore East City, Alric stuffed himself into the car along with the Elric brothers and Colonel Mustang. Considering that Alphonse took up the entire seat next to him, he found that he really was in fact squeezed into the car. Unlike the former flesh limbs he used to have, it was difficult to conform and squeeze into tight spaces. Mainly because metal didn't bend willingly like skin and bones.

So, struggling to breath, he was shoved against the car door as they drove off to the Sewing-Life Alchemist.

"If you don't mind me asking Alphonse…" Alric mumbled "Why are you still wearing your armor? We're not going out to fight anytime soon. And it hurts like hell because it's poking into my ribs…"

Alphonse blinked in surprise, causing him to straighten into his seat. A groan escaped the black haired teen as he was slammed further into the door "Oh, well...that's because…"

"He's training!" Edward cut through his brother's words like butter "He always has to wear is armor, it's, uh, part of the training. Isn't that right Al?"

"Oh, yeah!" Alphonse exclaimed "Of course! I can't take it off now!"

Mustang simply sighed and shook his head.

"So, uh, how do you know about Mr. Tucker?" The giant suit of armor asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Soon after I received my State certification, I realized how much I didn't know about bio-alchemy," Alric managed to breath out "Since I was new and all, my superior at the time pointed me to Tucker before he earned his State Alchemist certification to do more research in my field. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for at the time, considering I work with plants and other things like that, but his chimera research helped me understand more about transmutation on living organisms"

"Two years ago, Tucker transmuted a chimera that could understand human speech. That earned him his certification as a State Alchemist" Colonel Mustang explained.

"By 'understand human speech' , you mean…" Edward widened his eyes "Wait, you mean it talks? A chimera?!"

"Right..." Mustang nodded "Supposedly, it only said one thing. 'I want to die.' After that, it refused to eat until it got its wish"

Edward frowned. He had no idea how to take that comment. On one hand, Tucker seemed to be the solution to all of his problems. If everything that Mustang said was true, then the Sewing-Life Alchemist was savior to his problems. On the other hand...he didn't know what it took to even create a chimera.

And it didn't sound very pretty either.

What seemed like seconds later, the four military men stepped out of the car and entered Shou Tucker's expansive estate. Edward's mouth widened in awe as his curious eyes scanned the huge house. With a thick brick foundation, wide set windows and a sturdy door, the house seemed rather big to be stuck in the middle of the city.

"Man, this house is huge!" Edward exclaimed in awe.

"I know," Alric blinked in surprise "The last I remember, he was scraping by in a little apartment. It's nice to see that he moved on up"

"Hey, that's good"

A sudden loud bark filled all ears, as though it was a long, drawn out howling call of despair. A giant shadow towered over the blond Alchemist, causing him to shutter and squeak in fear. Then Edward looked up.

"AHHHH!"

Like a giant anvil, the fluffy, giant white dog slammed Edward straight into the ground and used him as his own personal dog bed. As much as Edward didn't want to admit it, but knew he was too...height challenged to wiggle his way out of that mess.

"You okay, Ed?" Alphonse cried in concern. All he earned in response was a muffled groan from his brother. And a bark from the dog.

"Daddy!" A small, soft voice exclaimed "There are people out here, look!"

The little girl hung tightly into the door knob as she slowly cracked it open. Even if the knob stood far above the reach of her fingers, she still clung onto its shiny surface like candy.

"Nina, this is why I told you to keep the dog tied up..." The short haired man with the thin timed glasses gently reprimanded. He sighed as his daughter giggled and darted back into the house, causing her white furred companion to leap off Edward like a leaping board and slither past the rather disappointed man.

"Ah, Mr. Tucker!" Alric grinned as he pulled at his coat and walked up to him "Its Alric, Alric Whitewood. I studied your notes a few years ago"

"Alric…" Tucker trailed off in thought. His eyes suddenly lit up realization "Oh, of course, the Reaping Alchemist. It's nice to see your doing well"

"As with you. This is extremely belated but, congratulations on your State certification"

"Oh, yes...thank you. Won't you all come in?" Tucker replied in what seemed to be a rushed voice. Alric couldn't help but notice how his voice suddenly dropped when those words left his mouth. It was like he wasn't proud of it in the very least. He squinted his eyes in concern, but kept his mouth tightly shut.

"I'm sorry about the mess," Tucker explained in disappointment as he stepped over the various hooks on the ground "Ever since my wife ran out, this place has been a wreck. I'm not much of a housekeeper"

Mess was an understatement. Dishes, books, notes, everything that was supposed to be beat and tidy was sprawled out across the counters and floors. A thick layer of dust sat on most surfaces, ready to be cleaned off and actually put away. But, it didn't stop the Sewing-Life Alchemist from brewing a pot of tea and grabbing the remaining clean tea cups for his guest.

Minutes later, he found his place at the dining table and cupped his thin fingers around his tea cup.

"Now that we're all settled in, let me say that it's a pleasure to meet you, Edward. As the colonel told you, I'm the Sewing-Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker" Tucker introduced.

"Ed is interested in the field of biologic alchemy. He would like to have a look at your research, if that's possible" Colonel Mustang explained.

"Oh, yes, certainly, I don't mind. However…" The Alchemist lifted his head, causing the glimmer against his glasses to fade away, all that was left behind the two thick pieces of glass was his small, yet deep light blue eyes "If you want me to show you the tricks I've got up my sleeve, it's only fair that you show me the tricks you got up yours as well. It's the code we live by-equivalent exchange. Now, why are you interested in bio-alchemy?"

"Oh, um...Ed…" Mustang tightened his grip on his tea cup, causing it to slightly clatter "Well, you see he's-"

Edward suddenly raised his hand, causing his thick, golden bangs to slide right in front of his eyes "Colonel"

"Are you sure about this, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked.

"It's like you said, it's my problem. I'll deal with whatever comes with it" Edward replied. With a sigh, he retracted his arm and cupped his fingers together.

Alric was about to open his mouth, but immediately shut it.

"When I was 11...my brother and I used human transmutation to bring back our mom. She died when I was 5 so...we planned ever since that day to get her back. Al lost his body, I lost an arm and a leg. I was able to replace them with auto mail, but Al is stuck with a suit of armor until we get our bodies back. And in the end…" Edward tightened his hands "It didn't even work"

"You transmuted your mother...as an eleven year old child?" Tucker replied in slight shock " I see...so that's what earned you the title 'Fullmetal Alchemist'. You've had a rough time of it for someone so young"

Tucker let his sharp eyes wander to the black haired teen, who only started into his browned reflection of the tea. Alric's deep, emerald eyes seemed to empty out into his reflection, adding more humanity and emotion to the tea before him than what he was capable of.

He felt ashamed. He felt disappointed. And he felt envious of the Elric. He couldn't even peep a word about what happened...that day without hating himself with a passion. Yet Edward said it with not with shame, but with purpose. It was like he already left it all behind. And the black haired teen couldn't muster up anything, to speak of that day.

He wasn't prepared to take all of the consequences just yet.

With a sigh, Tucker stood up from his chair and began to head out if the dining room "I can't say for sure if it's going to be of any use to you or not, but why don't you go ahead and take a look at my laboratory"

It wasn't long before the alchemist lead them down to a small, dark basement, filled with various screeching animals. Some cried out and tugged at the metal bars of their confinement, others shuddered into the cold corners of their cages. Even with all the cries and screams, it didn't seem like anyone was truly bothered with it. Not even Edward nor Alric.

"It's kind of embarrassing. I'm fairly widely regarded as an authority on chimeras. But the truth is...it hasn't actually been going that well lately" Tucker admitted anxiously.

"You look like you know what your doing" Edward said as he carefully creeped up to a cage. He jumped back as the animal rushed to the bars and reached out for the golden eyed teen as though he was a delicious meat sack.

"That's very kind of you to say" Tucker thanked. His voice however, dragged with sadness. Not that Edward noticed of course.

Minutes and a few hallways later, the Sewing-Life Alchemist lead the four to a large, dark room. With a simple flick of the lights, revealed what seemed like an endless row of book cases. Everything from research notes to hardback books sat neatly in a raw within their shelves like little soldiers waiting to be cracked open. And how the Elric brothers were eager to open them up.

Edward's eyes lit up "Ohh, amazing!"

"This is my library," Tucker explained "Feel free to look around"

Alric grinned and put his hands on his hips "This is certainly something Mr. Tucker. I have to say, I'm a little jealous of all the books you have here. I remember when you only had a small shelf and a pile of books way back then"

"We all have to grow, don't we?"

"All right then, let's dive in! I'll start with this shelf!" Edward pointed to a particular

shelf and began his trek.

"I'll start over here" Alphonse commented.

Alric pulled out his leather notebook from his trench coat pocket "I'll be in the back"

The three dived straight into the library and began to carefully scan around for something to sink their teeth in. It wasn't long before Edward' s excited face wore off and was replaced by determination. Although Alphonse couldn't exactly show much emotion in his helmet, it was clear that concentration took over his mind. On the other hand, Alric began to yank books of the shelf and set them into a pile, next to his precious notebook and pen tossed onto the hardwood floor.

"I'm going to head back to work now," Colonel Mustang announced "I'll send somebody by to get you this evening"

The only thing he got in response was a simple wave of Alric's hand. Edward and Alphonse already began to dig into the meat of their books. It was like the Elric brothers were on an entirely different world.

Tucker chuckled "They've got some ability to focus, I'm not sure they know we're here anymore. Quite a catch these two...A couple of prodigies. Not to mention Alric Whitewood and his sister"

"It's a standard if you want to become a State Alchemist at the age Fullmetal and the Reaper did" Mustang pointed out.

"I suppose. They've been through quite a lot haven't they?" Tucker replied "All of them. It seems like everyone is losing something these days"

"Especially limbs," Mustang raised his brow, letting his eyes wander to the Elric and the Whitewood.

"What a shame. Human transmutation took much from them, hasn't it?"

Colonel Mustang's eyes flickered with curiosity "The Whitewoods preformed human transmutation?"

"Oh, he hasn't told you yet?" Tucker blinked in surprise "What did he tell you?"

Mustang paused, before he sighed and began his trek out of the house "It doesn't matter. I'll be off"

It did matter to him. Mustang let his thoughts simmer and boil in his mind like a steaming pot of stew that couldn't quite cook, no matter how much heat was thrown upon it. This was certainly new information for the Colonel. And it was rather dangerous information at that. It was just a matter of confronting the Whitewoods about their little endeavor. It explained the usual amount of missing limbs. He didn't know if it affected the girls sight, however.

Four kids who performed human transmutation right under his thumb...it might be the godsend that moves up the ladder.

Or the curse that gets him court marshalled.

* * *

Hours passed by like minutes in the eyes of the three teens. It seemed like with each book they finished, another pile of novels were ready to be cracked open and read. It seemed like everyone was in their own corner of the room, alone and focused.

Alric sat with his back incredibly stretched across the floor, with a book in one hand and his notebook propped up against his knee. His trench coat was simply tossed to the side, revealing his small vest jacket and that dark green dress shirt he grew fond of. Comfortable and focused, there wasn't anything a that could draw him from his mission.

Then heard laughing.

He heard the shrill, laughing if a little girl having the time of her life, followed up to screeching and clanking of armor. Alric lifted his eyes from his page, only to see nothing from the source of the noise. Curious, he lifted himself up from the ground. Not without a groan of course.

"Oh god, I feel so stiff..." Alric mumbled, as his joints creaked and squeaked loudly "Maybe Lysandra was right, I should get my automail checked...but then I have to set some time aside to go to Rush Valley"

"Woo-hoo! Way up high!" Alphonse exclaimed, followed up another round of giggles and laughs. Alric turned the corner, only to see Alphonse hopping around with Nina on his back. The black haired teen couldn't help but bring a grin to his face at the pure joy Nina had on her own face. It was awfully familiar.

"Al, what're you doing?!" Edward exclaimed "You're supposed to be reading!"

"Um..." Alphonse anxiously replied as he stopped hopping around "Nina looked like she wanted to play"

"Well, in case you forgot, we didn't come here to play horsie!" He snapped back.

"Alexander says that he wants to play, too!" Nina pointed to her white furred companion, who panted as he laid flat across the floor. Edward couldn't help but glare at the giant fur ball and its empty black eyes.

"Ahhh! That's what you want, is it?" Edward pointed his accusing finger at the oblivious mutt "You've bested me twice, dog...but playtime is over! I will not lose this time. I, Edward Elric, will use my considerable powers to vanquish you! YOU MANGY MUTT!"

Without another thought, Edward charged Alexander with rage and fury. Not even his furious passion was enough to beat the dog, however. By the end of the day, Edward was sprawled out across the walkway outside Tucker's grand estate with the giant dog right on top of him like a giant fur rug. With droll and claws.

As the utterly depressed Edward stayed right under the grasp of Alexander, Alric slowly drew a small transmutation circle into the thick mud. He squinted and hesitated at times, as though he momentarily forgot how to even draw a transmutation circle in the first place.

Alphonse noticed.

"Nina, what's your favorite flower?" Alric asked.

"Um...Daisy!" She exclaimed.

"Alright then," the teen clapped his hands together and slammed them into the ground. A small spark of blue lightning-like energy worked from the mud, causing small field of flowers to pierce through the ground and pop open as they hit the sunlight. Satisfied, Alric gently plucked a flower from the ground and handed it to Nina.

"For the lady," Alric said with a grin as Nina grabbed the little daisy with a giggle.

"She really seems to like what you made her" Alphonse commented as Nina danced around with the soft, white petals of her flower within her fingers.

"Yeah, it was one of the first things I began to tramulte when I was small," Alric replied "My mother was very fond of plants and flowers. I used to think she had one of the best gardens in all of Amestris"

He let his emerald green eyes wander down to the little flower patch that was stuck in the ring of mud. The bundle of daisies seemed to wilt the longer he stared at them. Along with his mind.

"Hey, chief! Your ride has arrived" A voice called out. Alric blinked out of his thoughts, causing him to snap his head up, revealing the dirty blond lieutenant and his black haired sister hung around Havoc's arm as though they were a happy couple in love. Except for the fact that the most interest they had in each other was was equal to the interest Edward had in losing another limb.

Havoc looked down anxiously, revealing the great big, white dog crushing the State Alchemist "What're you doing down there, Ed?"

"Oh, uh...Let's just say I'm taking a break from a long day of research…" Edward mumbled, feeling his organs were being squeezed to death. With a sigh, Havoc rolled up his sleeves and got to work.

"Brother," Lysandra greeted as she slowly drew away from Havoc's arm. Like a toddler, she carefully stumbled across the stone path, letting the smooth, curved surface guide her across "How was research?"

"You'll know when we get to the hotel" Alric yawned, stretching out his metal arms and legs.

"After all that, you must be dog-tired," Tucker said. It took less than a second for Edward to glare at the Sewing-Life Alchemist with vengeance and fury "Why don't you come on back tomorrow?"

Nina ran up to Alphonse "You're really going to come again?"

"We'll play some more tomorrow, ok Nina?" The suit of armor assured, causing Nina to giggle and smile.

"OK!" She exclaimed.

"Oh, Mr. Tucker, I almost forgot," Lieutenant Havoc turned around "I've got a message for you. It's from the Colonel. He says 'Don't forget, assessment day is coming soon'"

"Yes…" Tucker softly nodded "I know"

"Ah, that's right. I better start hashing some of my notes together" Alric commented.

"Right"

With a simple wave of his hand, Havoc headed off with the four teens in tow. Tucker watched the five walk away with his drooping, blue eyes until they became nothing but a speck in the distance. Sighing, he shut the door, separating him from the outside world.

And his rather fragile mind.

* * *

"So...where are we Lieutenant Havoc?"

Havoc groaned. It's seemed like every few steps, the Reaper's sister would blurt about a few more words and ask about their location over and over and over again until he felt like he wanted to pull his hair out. He felt some amount go pity for the girl since she was in fact blind, but it didn't stop his frustration from boiling within his head. He just wished East City wasn't so big.

And it was only been a few days.

Lieutenant Havoc sighed, and glanced around his awfully filled and noisy surroundings "This is the market district. Over here you'll find everything from produce to cuts of meat"

"I hear a lot of people talking, so there must be plenty of people. Is it normally busy?" Lysandra asked.

"Typically in the morning"

"Oh, that's right," Lysandra realized, causing her glazed eyes to widen "Alric wanted me to buy some food. What does the list say?"

Havoc sighed as he dug his free hand into his pocket, feeling more like an errand boy than a soldier. Seconds later, he pulled out a folded, wrinkly piece of paper "It looks like your brother wants a couple of pieces of fruit and a few pounds of pork and beef"

The black haired teen with a wavy bob nodded "Alright then. Let's start on apples. He can't get enough of those"

The Lieutenant slowly dragged the girl across the market to a small produce shop, filled with colorful fruit and vegetable. Without another thought, Lysandra carefully trailed her fingers across the skin of each fruit until she felt something that resembled the thin, smooth skin of an apple.

"I'm feeling more like an errand boy than a Lieutenant right about now…" Havoc complained with a large sigh.

Lysandra scoffed "I know, right? I feel like I'm doing chores when my brother is doing something actually productive"

"You mean you don't normally do this?" Havoc raised his brow.

"Usually with Alric. We've always worked as a team, since we were kids. That's how it's always been. It kinda ticked me off that he made me go shopping than help him but…" he paused, letting her hands dig into the piece of fruit "I just think he worries about me too much, with my eyes and all"

"That's not necessarily a bad thing, you know" Havoc pointed out "It's better than sweeping you under the bus"

"I suppose...Lieutenant Havoc?"

"Yeah?"

"...What am I holding?"

"You mean you were going to buy something you weren't looking for? It's very round pear, by the way" Havoc groaned. In seconds, he yanked the piece of fruit from her hand and began to shove it into a bag.

"Here, let's make this quick. You go buy the meat and I'll tackle the fruit," The Lieutenant commanded "It's about 10 steps to your left"

"Fine…" Lysandra mumbled. With a sigh, he slowly let the wooden boxes guide her across the market, slowly taking her steps like a child would. Her eyes widened as she felt a smooth, surface finally collide with her hands.

"May I help you, young lady?" She heard a smooth, yet mischievous voice ring in her ear.

"Er...is this," the teen cleared her throat "Is this the butcher?"

"Yes it is," the man responded "This is none other than the storefront of Barry the butcher"

"Can I get 3 pounds of your pork?" Lysandra asked. Although she couldn't tell, the large, uniquely muscular man stared back at her with what seemed like curiosity in his eye. Unusual curiosity.

"I have a variety of meat to cut up for you. Would you like to pick and chose?" Barry invited, "I have an abundance of slabs in my refrigerated truck in the back"

"Oh...um...I can't see" Lysandra anxiously admitted.

Little did she know, that smile of Barry's face only drew wider, revealing his thick, faded white teeth.

"Oh, then this will make things much easier" Barry whispered under his breath ever so silently, as if the innocent blind girl couldn't hear a thing.

"What?" Lysandra repeated.

"I'm positive those hands of yours can feel a fine slab of my tender pork in my truck" Barry suddenly assured "I'm feeling kind today. I'll throw in something special"

She didn't think much of him. He just seemed like a butcher who was simply attempting to give her a fine deal. She couldn't argue with saving money. It seemed harmless. With a nod, she slowly followed the inviting butcher to the back of his store front.

She never came back out.

* * *

 **So, I think you know where this is going...I thought the Barry the Butcher arc was interesting in the original series, so, I decided to include it (with a few adjustments, of course). And besides, the psycho is fun to write!**

 **I hoped you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	5. The Dance of Life and Death

**Warning: Mentions/actions of sexual assault, plenty of gore, and graphic imagery.**

* * *

 _|Chapter 5: The Dance of Life and Death|_

* * *

"So...you committed the taboo?"

Alric barely lifted his emerald eyes from his thick book as he scribbled in notes with one hand and lifted up the novel in another. The question seemed to easily roll out of his mouth, as though it was waiting to burst out. It didn't seem like the most appropriate question in the world, but it simply brewed within the black haired teen's mind ever since the golden haired alchemist admitted to it. It intrigued him more than anything else.

Edward dug his fingers into his thick book as soon as those words crawled into his ear. He furrowed his brows and slowly shut his book, freezing up his research. He didn't even need to look at Alphonse to know that anxiety began to simmer in that armor suit of his. He could already feel it brew in his own stomach.

With a sigh, Edward stuffed the book in the crook of his arm and rammed his hands into his red coat "Yeah, we committed the taboo. We're not proud of it, but you can't change the past"

"Fair enough," Alric shrugged, sticking the end of his own between his teeth "I don't mean to pry or anything, but...when you went through the transmutation, what did you create?"

All went silent

Alric immediately snapped his emerald eyes up as Edward let his expression meet behind a thick curtain of his golden hair. The black haired teen however, didn't need a face twitch nor a deep frown to understand his feelings. The golden haired teen's hands shook as they dug deeply into the surface of his book. His head was pointed down into the nothingness of the floor. He knew exactly what he felt, from experience. He felt regret.

Edward slowly lifted his head up, revealing his empty, golden orbs.

"We created a monster out of mom" was all the teen could muster up.

Alric bit through his pen.

"Oh hwell!" He hissed as thick, black ink burst into his mouth and rolled off his face. He spit out the broken pen, causing it roll across the ground and streak across the wood.

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked, raising his head.

"Yeah, what the hell did you do?" Edward curiously questioned. He raised his brow as Alric rushed past him, stained with black ink at his lips and chin.

"I'll bwe wright bwack!" Alric managed to spit out as he bolted out of the library. He cupped his hands and spit thick, black ink right into them, creating a swirling puddle of his mouth juices and awfully bitter ink. All Edward and Alphonse heard was the sound of frantic foot steps and the occasional loud croak before they heard a door slam shut.

"What was that all about?" Edward snapped his head towards his brother, who sat firmly on the ground.

"I think he bit through his pen," Alphonse respond doubtfully. He paused, and let silence sit between him and his brother as a new thought entered his mind "Brother?"

"What's up Al?"

"You don't think it's odd that he asked about our human transmutation attempt?" Alphonse asked in suspicion.

Edward shrugged "Not really. It's not everyday someone tries to bring someone back from the dead. I wouldn't worry about it too much"

"I suppose..." He trailed off "It's just...the way he worded it...'what did we create?'. He assumed that we didn't bring mom back the way she looked before. Its like he knew what the outcome of our attempt was in the first place"

"I mean, it's obvious we didn't bring her back"

"I know brother, but that's not what I meant,' Alphonse continued. He quickly snapped his book shut and spread out his thick, metal legs, causing them to softly ring as he moved them "Most people ask what happened, not what we made"

"What are you trying to say?"

"Maybe he knows more than he's letting on" Alphonse admitted.

Edward sighed, and shoved the book back into the shelf. With a groan, he stretched his arms behind his head "I don't know Al, you always read to much into stuff. It's a possibility, I guess"

"It wouldn't hurt to ask a few questions," the giant suit of armor pointed out "He knows more about us than we know about him and his sister"

"Yeah, I guess"

And the two brothers discussed questions with one another, Alric spit out the last of the disgusting, bitter ink from his mouth. With a groan, he wiped his face with a thick, white towel, staining it on mere contact with his face. He sighed as he saw the once white, pure towel streaked black with ink.

"Tucker is going to kill me..." Alric sighed in defeat. He threw the towel aside, and let his hands trail across the smooth surface of the sink. He let his hands clench into the porcelain surface as he stared blankly at himself in the mirror. The black haired teen saw a rather wide eyed, emerald colored young man staring back at him. His face was rather pale, letting the dark circles under his eyes be the only source of color from his face. With a deep, chilled frown, it looked like he added 10 years to his face in a matter of seconds.

The memories of that day seemed to flood back into his mind like a great tsunami, washing away his empty mind. The screams of his little sister were still fresh in his mind. The pain from his limbs being torn off his body still gnawed at the little stumps of his arms and legs that were coated in metal. And most of all, the endless tears that shed from their faces when they learned the ultimate consequence from human transmutation made his hands shake with fury.

And it wasn't because of they made either.

Alric couldn't help but release a chuckle, a laugh that was deprived of any humor or kindness. He knew he regretted that last question the moment it left his mouth. It was a question he certainly didn't want to be asked if he was in that same position. It just rolled out of his mouth. He simply let his damn mind control him to the point where he couldn't stop asking questions. Or perhaps it was his heart that really controlled him.

He didn't know. And he didn't care. All he knew was he nearly gave a 15 year old kid a heart attack. And almost poisoned himself with ink.

He couldn't help but sigh.

After a few more wipes of his mouth, Alric slowly shuffled back to the library. By the time he peaked his head behind the doorway, he saw the two brothers working diligently on their research, as thought not a single thing occurred. With their golden and red tinted eyes glued firmly onto their books, the anxious feeling that made Alric's stomach turn settled down. He let a small grin of relief briefly cross his face before he strolled back in, ready to tackle more research on the Philosopher's stone. Or anything useful, really.

Right as he was about to wrap his eager fingers around the spine of a rather thin novel, he heard a soft yawn.

Edward slowly rose from the ground stretched out his arms high above his head "I think a break is in order. Al? Alric?"

"Sure brother" Alphonse agreed, nodding his helmet.

Alric pushed the book back into its hiding place and shrugged "I'm alright with that. I'm feeling kind of peckish anyways"

With a sly grin, Edward casually shrugged his shoulders and flipped his palm through the air "Its kinda early to have food"

"I don't know, you always-" Alphonse was about o honestly protest.

"It's kinda early to have food, _ISN'T IT_ Al?" Edward ever so carefully growled, before sending a glare out of the corner of his eye.

"Oh, right! It is!"

Alric only raised his brow in complete confusion. Maybe it was brother - brother thing.

"So, what happened to your sister?" Edward asked.

Alric tightened his hand at that question "What do you mean?"

"I mean, where is she?"

"Oh, yeah, that makes sense…" Alric breathed a silent sigh of relief "She's out shopping for us. You know, groceries and other things to that effect"

"She didn't want to come?" Alphonse asked.

"No, she didn't" Alric lied "Lysandra wanted time away from me. She said I've been driving her insane for the past couple of days" he chuckled "That's a little sister for you"

"Little?" The golden haired alchemist asked.

"Yeah, I'm 17. She's 15"

"Fif...teen?" Edward managed to croak out. It was like all the color on his face disappeared, leaving a rather pale indentation of a human. He could hardly believe his ears. He could practically feel his heart break in two. Along with the occasional jab at his height. The girl who towered many inches above him, the girl who couldn't even slap him, the girl who could use his head as an armrest was...15? His age?

That day, a part of Edward Elric died in Shou Tucker's home.

As Edward wallowed in utter self pity, Alphonse continued to question him "Both of you seem to be pretty close too"

"I suppose I have a good relationship with her," Alric shrugged, as though it wasn't the most important thing in the world "It's not like we've had it easy. She is blind and I have to rely on automail just to walk and eat. At the same time...we could have easily went our separate paths, but we didn't"

Edward managed to finally collect himself. With a loud, throaty cough, he fixed his golden eyes into the Reaping Alchemist "So, automatic. You mind telling us how you got them?"

"That's easy. Train accident. Killed both of my parents and left me a limbless stump" Alric lied once again. It was the lie that he told anyone who asked prying questions. It was short, simple, and blunt. The words left his mouth so easily, a weak, deformed smile formed on his face. To him, it was a smile of relief. To Edward and Alphonse, it was an empty, lifeless grin.

"Big brother!"

The sound of pattering foot steps filled the awfully quiet library, invading all ears who sat inside. The teens snapped their heads to the door, revealing a playful and giggling Nina. Behind the little girl however sat the Sewing-Life Alchemist, who nearly adjusted his thin dimmed glasses.

"Hi Nina" Alphonse greeted.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but there's a phone call for you, Alric," Tucker said, pointing in back of him "It sounded rather urgent"

Alric knit his eyebrows together in curiosity "That's odd"

Without another thought, he shuffled across the library and swiftly went through the doorway, leaving only his wrinkled leather trench coat. With a snicker delight, Edward ever so carefully snuck to the unattended trench coat and dug through its various pockets.

"What are you doing?" Tucker asked, coaxing his brows in worry.

"He guards that notebook with his life, so," he crawled his hand through his coat "I'm thinking there might be some information that might help us"

Edward's brows titled in confusion as his hands brushed over something that defiantly wasn't a notebook. Curious, he clamped onto whatever it was and pulled out. And so a mountain of seeds erupted from his pocket.

"What the hell is this?!" Edward exclaimed as small, green seeds poured from his fingers and spread across Tucker's usually clean and finished floor. He could practically hear the Sewing-Life Alchemist mumble something about a broom and his heads smacked under it.

"Seeds?!" Alphonse cried out, his helmet of a face usually filled with shock "Why does he have seeds in his pockets?!"

"How should I know?! Al, grab a broom or something and me clean before he comes back!"

"Why me?!" Alphonse cried ever so innocently, holding his hands together anxiously "You're the one who wanted to look through his coat!"

"Shaddup and help me!"

A few minutes later and a few sweeps of he room later, Edward finally had his grimy little fingers on the notebook. He thumbed frantically through Alric's filled to the brim notebook, as though he would absorb each page by the mere split second glance at it. Some pages were filled page to page with rather messy handwriting. Other pages had diagrams and hand drawn pictures. A few pages even had sepia photos of places and things. His curious grin soon disappeared when he finally reached the last page. His focused too soon turned to grim shock as his eyes laid on a simple torn dark-green cloth stuffed in the last page. It wasn't the cloth itself that made Edward's heart stop, but rather what was drawn on it. In the middle of the thin, torn cloth sat a crusted, bloodied circle with a fine, loose fingerprint in the middle. He could recognize it from anywhere.

It was a blood seal.

"SHE'S WHAT?!"

Edward nearly squealed as the notebook violently jumped from his hands. He frantically fumbled with its surface until he darted back to Alric's coat and stuffed it back in what he hoped to be the correct pocket.

Alric rushed as fast as his metal, lightly rusted legs could carry him and burst through the doorway, nearly shoving Tucker to the side. Even if he did brush right past him, he didn't bother to apologize. The absolute fear and worry that lined his face revealed enough to the Elric brothers.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked, letting his limbs freeze in place.

"Lysandra's missing," Alric replied bluntly. He swept his trenchcoat off the ground and let it swing back onto his body "And she's not just one to wander off. You wouldn't mind helping me search for her, wouldn't you?"

"Yeah, we'll help. Al?" Edward asked, letting his golden eyes wander to his metal brother.

"Of course" Alphonse nodded, causing his armor to creak.

"Thanks. We better get moving," Alric explained "I'll tell you where we're going on the way"

Without another thought, the three teens rushed outside the library, leaving the silent Tucker and his ever playful daughter alone.

Tucker slowly lifted his head, causing the stark glimmer on his eyes to disappear. Behind the two thin pieces of glass, two empty, wide orbs sat.

"Nina, are you ready to play with Daddy and Alexander?" Tucker asked in a soft, yet chilling tone. It was nothing his little girl could pick up on.

"Yeah!"

* * *

Alric wanted to slap Lieutenant Havoc into complete and utter oblivion.

Sure, the lieutenant might have been taller, stronger, and perhaps more attention at combat than he was, but it didn't stop of the thoughts of absolutely decking him straight to the ground. But, like the good little State Alchemist he was, he kept those certain feelings under lock and key. Not even the darkest depths of his mind however could keep the thought of smacking Havoc from bubbling up.

The frustrated black haired teen stuffed his angrily shaking fist into his coat pocket, and bit his lip until he tasted the metallic liquid that pumped throughout his body "Let me get this straight Lieutenant Havoc, you sent my sister to the butcher shop and she simply disappeared into thin air?"

The Lieutenant sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration "We're you even listening? I said your sister and I agreed to split up _your_ duties and went to the butcher storefront. I told her where to go, and that was the last I saw of her"

"People don't just dissape-" Alric blinked in realization "Wait, a storefront?"

"Yeah, this is just a storefront" Havoc explained. He quickly waved his hands toward his body as he opened the door of the butcher shop. Alric and the Elric brothers carefully shuffled out into a brightly lit ally. Grey stones lined the floor, as other various bricks were built high into the sky, forming multiple story buildings. The sun barely managed to leak into the alley, leaving a thin layer of days old snow to fester and smooth out into ice. Alphonse nearly fell flat on his back as his metal feet slickly slid across the ice like stones against stones.

"If it's a kidnapping, this is the place to do it" Lieutenant Havoc explained.

"You brought her to a place where people regularly get kidnapped!?" Alric exclaimed.

"Of course not! What kind of man do you think I am?!"

As the angry State Alchemist and the annoyed Lieutenant exchanged tense fighting words, Edward and Alphonse began their search for Lysandra. Even if it was difficult to drown out all the yelling and screaming.

Edward placed his gloved hands on his chin and thought and carefully scanned the alley "What are you thinking Al?"

"Lysandra couldn't have gotten too far if she really did just wander along by herself," Alphonse thought aloud.

"At the same time...I'm pretty sure someone from the military would have found her by now. Is not like she knows where to go" Edward explained.

"Then do you think...someone really did kidnapped her, brother?"

"I won't jump to any conclusions but I think we're leaning towards that scenario" Edward replied. He let his golden eyes trail across the icy, smooth pavement, in search of ideas, clued, really anything that would help him. He squinted his eyes as he trailed across a faint indention within the ice. It looked too man made to be nature, yet seemed gently smoothed over from the growing heat of the day.

It looked like tire tracks.

"Hey Lieutenant, was there a car stopped here when you left her?" Edward asked.

"I didn't lea-" The Lieutenant was about to yell. His dark blue eyes widened as his words finally settled into his mind "A car?

"Yeah, there's tire tracks" Edward pointed to the ground, revealing his find.

Havoc slowly bent down to the ground and studied the tracks, as though they would lead him directly to Lysandra. The smoke from his lit cigarette seemed to softly curl around his eyes, disappearing within the vapor from the melting ice "They don't look too old either. The only cars that I know that pass by here are refrigerated trucks"

"Refrigerated trucks?" Alphonse asked.

"Well yeah. There's always refrigerated trucks parked here. You know, for the market"

"Refrigerated trucks…A car that can hide bodies…" Edward thought immediately widened his eyes in realization "Oh no…"

"God dammit..." Alric groaned. His normally calm, collected emerald eyes widened into two mortally anxious spheres, causing him to cling onto his head for what seemed like for his life. It seemed like he was about to punch through the hard brick wall with his mere naked fists from the frustration that built up. Everything was spiraling out of control for him. The moment he thought he was one step closer to his sister, hope was dragged right under his feet. He always assumed the worst when his sister-his family was missing. He couldn't replace his family, nor gain one.

And his panic was awfully noticeable. Edward could only coax his eyes brows and sigh.

"I could head back to the command center and find the registration of all the shopkeepers here" Havoc suggested.

"That would take too long," Edward replied "We don't know if we have time for that"

"Brother's right. We don't know if we have the luxury of time right now. For now we should split up and scan the city" Alphonse suggested.

The Lieutenant smirked and crossed his arms "Alright then, let's get moving"

"Whoever messes with Lysandra is going to get beaten to a pulp..." Alric angrily growled, bracing his rather tight fists for emphasis.

Edward raised his brow. And people thought he was angry.

It didn't take long for the four to split and dissolve with the crowd of the city. As his brother, the Lieutenant, the angry Alchemist took to the streets, Edward stayed comfortably within the depths of the alley. Sure, the icy cold of the shadows nipped at his face, and his slick boots caused him to fall flat on his face a couple of times, but he didn't mind too much. He simply shoved his hands into his red coat and wished for the best. He was on a mission, anyhow.

Out of the corner of his eye, a shimmering object reflected harshly against the thin sliver of sun that leaked into the alley. Curious, he halted to a stop and glanced down. On the ground stood a small, silver whistle with a tiny chain horribly welded on the end.

He picked it up and promptly rolled it around his fingers. He knew exactly who it belonged to. The memory of the blind black haired girl attempting to slap the absolute crap out of him was good enough. And sure enough, he remembered the little silver whistle that hung loosely from her mouth like it was yesterday.

Edward felt one step close to finding Lysandra.

Without another thought, he dropped the whistle in his pocket and continued to search the ground. He raised his brow at the sight of soft foot prints in the melting ground. Although they were rather faint, they certainly were not old. Like a bloodhound, he feverishly followed the footsteps, obliviously passing by a giant refrigerated truck to a door. Shrugging, he opened it.

The first thing that invaded his nose was the awful stench of cold, old, and rotting meat.

The thick cold winds seemed to curl around the giant slabs of meat that hung from the deadly hooks from the ceiling. Edward couldn't help but hold his nose as he weaved through slab after slab, searching for anything. It was like searching through a giant, meat filled maze to him. Then he heard a muffled cry.

His golden eyes snapped wide open, causing him to furiously shove and push his way through the tender slabs of meat. He weaved and pushed his way through until he reached a giant, dimly lit open area. The lights seemed to eerily flicker with each step he took, but he didn't notice much. He found something that took hold of his thoughts and mind anyhow.

"Lysandra!" Edward hissed.

Under the dimly lit light sat the black haired girl, tightly bound at the hands with a thick, rusted chain. She huddled her shoulders and legs fearfully close to her body, as though she was attempting steal heat from her own body. No matter how much she cried or yelled, her desperate cries were firmly muffled by a clever white gag tied around her mouth. Her wide, glazed eyes could barely comprehend anything but fear and terror.

Because that was the only thing she was capable of.

The golden eyed Alchemist rushed to Lysandra's side and began to furiously untie the thick chains that dig into her hands "I'm just gonna grab you and we can get the hell out of this place"

The only thing he got in response was a pained cry.

The more he tugged into the rusted chains, the louder Lysandra's cries became. Within seconds, they turned from a pitiful, weeping sob to a howling cry that echoed clear throughout the butcher shop. Edward could only bite his lip and pray to god that she was untied before anyone else came.

"Goddammit it, come on!" Edward angrily yelled, as he feverishly yanked the chain. Lysandra's howling, muffled screams didn't help either.

Then a giant force slammed into his head.

Like a giant, solid brick collided into his skull, the shocked Edward slammed straight into the cold, hard floor. He was knocked rightly out before his head slammed violently into the ground. The last thing he heard was a playful, hollow chuckle before everything went absolutely black.

The horrified, black haired girl could only howl louder at the shrill sound of a hollow skull ringing within her ear. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't know where she was. All the footsteps, the voices, the noise mushed up into one giant wall of sound. She couldn't separate anything from it, not even Edward's voice. All she heard was pure and terrifying noise.

As one thing she could hear clearly, however.

Barry the Chopper could hardly contain his chuckles. He laughed as he dropped his giant bat onto the ground, causing the black haired girl, to shrill up at the sudden sound.

"He was trying to save you! Now that's adorable" Barry placed his meaty paws on Edwards lifeless body, yanking him up like a cat would do to its young "Well, we can't have that, now can we, young lady?"

Lysandra's desperate screams became pathetic, weeping cries as Barry gently trailed his giant hands across her midsection, as though he was stroking a cat. She could only helplessly recoil and let tears run from her face as his free hand slowly moved down her waist and down to her cold thighs, like a deadly spider ready to strike and strip her of every piece of clothing she had on.

"Oh, don't worry," Barry erriely leaned into her ear, as he grabbed her tender, shriveled shoulders "I just want to see what makes you tick"

* * *

The first thing Edward felt was a splitting headache. It felt like his brain was beating out of his skull, desperately trying to escape its tiny container and flop away.

He groaned as he blinked back into reality. He slowly tugged his arms, ready to rub his tired golden eyes. It would have worked however, if his hands weren't bound. And if he had both of his arms, really.

He gasped as saw a metal, empty stump where his automail should have been, like a key that was taken away from its lock. He furiously yanked and pulled at his fleshly arm, only to let the chains that tied him to his prison of a chair to dig into his skin. No matter how much he struggled and pulled, all he managed to do was make noise.

"The hero awakes"

Edward let his furiously narrowed eyes glance up, revealing a rather bulky man with a simple, small apron. Although his size was impressive (Not compared to that huggy Armstrong), it wasn't the thing that he really focused on. What grabbed his attention, made his blood boil, and begged for a fist was his smile. That smile with playfully curled tips.

"Why you!" Edward leapt forward, causing the chair to creak.

"Word on the playground is you can transmute without a circle, just using your hands. So to be safe..." Barry slowly lifted up his limp automail like it was a slab if meat ripe for cutting. It seemed that Edward's eyes only became more sharp with that new piece of information in mind.

"Please let me introduce myself," Barry softly said "My name is Barry and this here is my butcher shop"

"What of it?" Edward snapped "Cut the crap, now let her go!"

Barry let a playful chuckle escape his throat "Guilty as charged. And to reward you for making it this far we have a very special guest" With a crazed grin, he violently pushed a skinned, dissected cow and let it run across the butcher shop. Edward growled as Lysandra whimpered and was helplessly dragged across the track, as though she was only a slab of meat herself.

"Let her go" Edward growled lowly. He carefully began to scratch into the chains.

"I've never took apart a young lady who couldn't see the light of day. It was as though she was asking to join the others," Barry replied in his sickly sweet tone, as he let his hands rest on her back. Lysandra cried out as tried to arch her back, yet his warm, evil hands still crawled onto her skin "This is certainly going to be a different experience. If you watch us carefully, you just might get to see what makes her tick"

"You sick-Why are you doing this?"

"Why? Huh... What a strange little question that is..." The butcher turned around, revealing a wide, crazed smile on his twisted face and a deadly sharpened meat cleaver in the other "I suppose it's because I enjoy it. The first person I killed was my wife. She was nagging me about something and then, without meaning to, I chopped her to pieces. But when I saw how finely I could slice her, I wanted more. More people to cut up, to reduce to their most basic building blocks. And I wanted everyone to see"

"How can a person murder someone for such a ridiculous reason?" The golden haired alchemist snapped, barring his teeth.

A sudden, booming laugh caused Edward to flinch "Because they can! Given the slightest provocation, anybody can do it" Barry slowly crept closer to the trapped little teen, swinging his deadly meat cleaver in his hand like a simple children's toy.

"You monster!" Edward yelled. His voice grew horse.

"Monster...now that's an interesting word," Barry thought aloud "Men have morals, but send them to war and they have no problem slaying each other in the most brutal fashions. Why do you think that is?"

"I have no idea" Edward sharply replied.

Then Barry's meat cleaver dug into his shoulder.

The teen groaned in sharp pain began to pound out of his shoulder. Blood leaked out of the fresh wound and locked he sharpened meat cleaver, tainting it that beautiful Crimson color. Barry's eyes seemed to lighten up at the mere sight of blood, like a child whose face lit up when they were given candy.

It only made Edward's stomach turn inside out.

Lysandra could hear the ticking sound of fresh meat being roughly chopped up. Her glazed over eyes widened. She pulled and yanked at her thick chains, desperately trying to help. Yet, seconds later she froze. She could only assume the worst.

Tears began to flood from her eyes

"Cause, deep down inside we all want to kill," Barry continued "Most just need the go-ahead from their society, like the State Alchemists I saw in a village, slaughtering helpless people. Splat. Big fountains of blood. With your logic, wouldn't that also make them monsters?"

"It's not true! No!" Edward yelled out. Barry's eyes shifted from pure glee to shock as a soft blue glow escaped the chair. Without another second to waste, Edward leapt from the chair, causing the pathetic chains to fall to his feet.

"You little!" Barry snarled, lifting his deadly meat cleaver in the air. The young alchemist gasped at the sight of the sharp edge, causing him to leap out if his chair. A snarl vibrated out of Barry was he cut into the chair, causing it explode into shards of wood on mere impact.

Edward desperately scrambled to his feet, his golden eyes widened into two fearful orbs as Barry's laughs drilled into his young ears. As the meat cleaver was about to shred through him once more, he quickly blocked it his boot. With whimpering snarl, he violently shoved the cleaver away from his warm, fleshly body and got to his feet.

He ran like hell, weaving in and out through the thick slabs of meat that hung endlessly through the butcher shop. Although his heart beat out of his chest, and the only thing he could hear other than Barry's sick laughs was his gasping breaths, his jumbled thoughts began to collect themselves.

"I need-" He silently thought, violently shoving a thick skinned pig out of his way "I need my arm. Or a weapon"

He quickly glanced behind himself, his arm nowhere in sight. He growled angrily. With attention immediately turned to a small, metal shelf, tucked in the corner of the shop. Considering the butcher had an endless infatuation with killing women, he might of had a few extra cleavers lying around. Or knifes.

As the chuckles grew close and closer, Edward leapt over a giant skinned cow and darted towards the metal locker. With no lock, he unhinged the door and flung it open. It was a move that he instantly regretted.

Because body parts began to flood out.

A squeak of gasp escape his throat as he jumped back, letting the smell of rotting human flesh fill the air. Butchered thin arms flopped to the ground. Bloody rotting legs rolled across the floor. Torsos simply slammed into the ground. All were clean and maggot free, letting the sickly purple flesh gleam into Edward's young eye.

Then simple, chestnut colored head softly rolled from the pile of body parts and rested mere inches from the young alchemist feet. Although thick, bloodied hair hid its lack of eyes and its sunken in pale face, Edward could only freeze in absolute fear. His lip began to tremble like he child he was.

He saw someone in that decapitated head he never thought he would ever have to see again. It was like that day.

"M-mom?"

"I see you've discovered my collection," Barry's voice settled back into his old, calm and playful self "It's fascinating, isn't it? All the women who have crossed my path" he crossed right in front if the frozen stiff Edward, kicking the head like it was a mere ball. A small squeak escaped him as the rotting head rolled across the ground, until it gently bounced back onto the locker.

"Now, how about stop struggling and join them!" Barry yelled out with his awfully sickening eyes. It took seconds for Edward to blink himself back into the horrible reality. With a desperate whimper, he stumbled out of the war and disappeared into the sea of meat once more.

His once fluid, collected movements began to jerky and stiff. He pushed and shoved into skinned animal after skinned animal, causing the chains that hung them to shake with fury. He couldn't hear his gasping breaths anymore, nor his violently beating heart. All he could hear was Barry's laughs. His sickening, playful laughs.

Edward bust through the slabs of meat, revealing the trapped, struggling Lysandra and his sweet, sweet arm. He couldn't focus on anything else. Without as so much as a thought, he rushed by the black haired girl and latched onto his arm, before disappearing back to the slabs of meat.

All Lysandra could hear was his shrill, desperate screams seconds later.

Barry leapt through his sea of meat, in search of his little moving target. It was like a game to him, a rigged game that always ruled in his favor. He simply loved to see his prey struggle, beg for their lives, scream for mercy until the very end. And the of course chop them up into tiny little pieces. It was the process of the kill, and he loved it.

"Damn it!"

Edward tripped over a giant, skinned cow, causing him to slide across the unusually wet ground. Before he could desperately scramble to his feet, a shrill gasp escape his tiny, helpless throat. None other than Barry the Chopper charged with with fury and purpose, swinging his cleaver high into the air. Barry's eyes widened as he tripped over his fine, skinned cow, letting him fall right into Edward's hands.

The young State Alchemist had no idea what to do. His thoughts were clouded and jumbled. His vision was wide, yet dangerously blurry. His body couldn't stop shaking. It was life or death to him. And he desperately wanted life.

He clapped his shaking hands together, causing his automail arm to grow into a shiny, fine blade. Without another thought, he charged the butcher, letting his howling screams fill his tender ears. His blade was pointed at Barry's throat.

It didn't cross his mind at all. He was going to become a killer.

"DON'T!"

A cold, chilling hand suddenly latched onto his warm shaking hand, causing the frighten Edward to croak out a gasp from his hoarse throat. With a shrill cry of helplessness, he snapped around and sliced across a thick suit or armor. A piece of armor that could have only belonged to one person.

His shaking golden eyes glanced up, revealing his always blank faced brother "It'll take more than that to kill me, Brother"

"Al...I..." Edward wanted to desperately find the words lodged in his throat, yet he couldn't find them. Alphonse knew that wall enough

"Brother, are you hurt?" Alphonse calmly asked.

Edward let that question sit in the air, as though he refused to answer that. He hung his head low, letting his golden hair hide his glimmering eyes. His eyes that he struggled not to let a single tear fall.

"I thought he was going to kill me. I honestly thought I was going to die. I was so scared...So scared" his voice became nothing but a small, weak squeak.

Edward yelpled in shock as thick, green and brown vines slithered past his feet like little snakes. They grew leaf and after leaf as they crawled across the ground, cracking past Edward and Alphonse and the slabs of meat that lined the place. Suddenly, within inches of the murderous butcher, their sharp ends violently shot up. Like a blanket, the vines forcefully weaved in and out across Barry's thick body. Barry didn't even bother to fight or struggle as the thick vines wrapped around his arms and hands, trapping him like a foreign object consumed in nature.

Alric burst from a line of meat, letting his carved, silver gauntlets glean through his rolled up sleeves. He casually hopped over his thick vines, until he made it to the Elric brothers. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but shut it seconds later. He didn't notice the absolute fear within the young Alchemist's golden eyes. He didn't notice how his body shook with fear. He didn't notice how he was holding back his tears. Until now.

He coaxed his eyebrows and sighed.

"Hey! They're all in here!" A soldier yelled, causing a group of dressed military men to flood into the place with guns. Sure, a few tripped into the vines that erupted from the floor, but like nothing happened, they jumped back onto their feet and surrounded the trapped killer.

"Don't move!" A soldier yelled, pointing the barrel of his gun straight to Barry's skull. He simply laughed and smiled, knowing the game was over.

"Whitewood sir! Over here!" A voice yelled

"Really?" Alric's face lit up with absolute relief. He darted and hopped his way across the erie butcher shop, until he finally burst through the open area. His smile of relief soon fell off his face as he saw Lysandra helplessly tied up to the ceiling, as thigh she was a slab of meat. Although her blank, unseeing eyes couldn't see a thing, they were filled to the rim with terror. They looked so helpless.

"Lysandra!" Alric yelled as he darted to his sisters side.

"Al...ric?" His scared sister managed to croak out through her dried tears. Her mouth opened in awe, causing even more of her thick hot tears to welt up in her eyes.

"Everything is fine, I'm here now" the black haired Alchemist assured. With a clap of his hands on the ground, he let a thin vine slither up from the cracks and dig itself into a small lock attached to the chains. Seconds later, the lock burst open, causing a thick roll of vines to spill out. Alric frantically ripped the chains off of her tender, red hands, and let her dive into his arms.

Thick tears fell from Lysandra's eyes as she shook furiously, likes leaf ready to be pulled from its stems with the mere force of the wind. She squeezed her brother's cold, icy arms until her hands connected onto his warm, fleshy back.

With a weak smile, Alric ran his cold, creaky fingers through her thick hair, and gently lead her tears into his shoulder "Your good now, I'm here"

"A-Alric...brother..." Lysandra managed to squeak out from her tears "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry. I...I lost hope. I thought I was going to die. I'm so scared..."

"That's alright, you don't have to be sorry," Alric replied "Did he do anything to you?"

"He...he touched me..." Lysandra's voice became nothing but a tiny whimper, like a cry that couldn't yell into the air.

Alric's eyes widened. In an instant, his caring, tender metal hands became as stiff as they should have been. His body seemed to freeze at the mere words she said. His wide, emerald eyes slowly turned to the serial killer, who simply stood their trapped with a playful grin. An evil playful grin.

A grin that he wanted to see filled with fear and mercy.

He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately holding back tears "I knew I should have ran ahead...if I did..." He let his hands creak into an angry, shaking fist "I could have killed him myself"

So with his sister hung over his shoulder crying until her voice became strained, he glared at the murderous butcher with equal murderous intent.

If only he sent his vines into his skull.

* * *

"Lieutenant Havoc was the one who realized that trucks from this particular shop had bypassed numerous inspection points," Alphonse explained "Thanks to him, we managed to get there in time"

The younger brother felt like he said this to Edward for the 100th time, trying to drill some shred of hope within his head. Yet, when the words left him, all he got in return was silence. All he could see was Edward's thick, golden hair, and not a sliver of his tired, hopeless face.

Edward dug his fingers further into the thin blanket wrapped around his body. It seemed no matter how much he let it wrap around his cold skin, it never warmed his flesh. All he could feel was the icy cold air of the butcher shop.

All he could see was his mother's head.

Alphonse glanced up from him, and carefully stated at the Whitewood siblings "Since I no longer have a mortal shell, I can't feel the terror you felt, thinking you were going to die. I'm sure it must have been painful, and lonely," he tightened his fist "I want my body back, brother. I want to be able to feel what you felt. To feel human again. If we find the Philosopher's Stone, I can have that. And we can repair what we've broken"

"I saw a decapitated head and the only thing could see was mom. My mind went blank, and I didn't have any hope anymore," Edward managed to say "The only thing I could do was scream my lungs out. I felt so helpless. I couldn't even bring myself to believe someone might save me. Then you showed up, Al. And I realized if we don't take care of each other, no one else will. So I'll do anything in my power to get our bodies back, even if it means being the military's lapdog. And we'll just have to hope our powers are good enough to help us rise above our own limits. 'Cause we're not gods...We're only human, just...human"

He barely lifted his beaten, golden eyes as he heard footsteps approach him. It was as though he pushed any and all outside noise that invaded his ear and let himself wallow in his tortured thoughts.

Alphonse glanced up, revealing the black haired Alchemist and her sister, who still clung onto his arm. Although her face was still stained by her old, bubbling tears, and her eyes were crawling with red, it seemed to soften. As compared to what it looked like before, in the very least

"How are you doing Lysandra?" Alphonse asked.

She clung onto Alric's arm tighter "I'm alright. Thank you for asking. Edward...um..." She trailed off, letting her blank eyes wander to what she thought was his face. Instead, it was the harsh ground "I wanted to thank you for saving me"

"Please, don't," Edward softly replied, causing his words to come out as a sharp breath "I didn't do anything"

"You tried. That's all that matters to me. As thanks, I wanted to heal you" Lysandra replied. A weak, lifeless smile suddenly framed her face. As fast as it came however, it disappeared.

Edward briefly glanced at his torn up shoulder. He nearly forgot about the giant, fleshy cut, numbed out by the coldness of the growing night.

"Ok" Edward said in differently, as though he didn't care. Mainly because he didn't.

Lysandra carefully reached out her hand, until she made it to his rather cold hands. Edward barely flinched as the girl trailed up his hand and arm like a little spider seeking warmth and comfort. Reaching his shoulder, she pulled out a small, inscribed cloth and flinched it onto his wound. Seconds later, a soft blue glow escape the young Alchemist shoulder, causing the cloth to soak up his blood. With a weak grin of satisfaction, she lifted up the bloodied cloth, revealing his smooth, warm skin.

"The cut, it's gone!" Alphonse explained

"That's Alkahestry for you. I appreciate what you did for her" Alric was about to raise his hand for a handshake, but immediately froze in place. It took him a few seconds to recognize the dire state Edward was in mentally. So, with an internal sigh, he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Edward's gloomy eyes blinked in realization, flickering with something other than exhaustion. He slowly dug through his coat pocket, and pulled out a small, silver whistle from his pocket.

"This is yours. Take it" Edward said in a tired tone, slowly raising his palm up. Alric plucked it from his hand, causing the golden haired Alchemist to shutter back into the comfort of his blanket. The black haired teen placed the silver object into his sister's cold hands, and gently folded it within the warmness of her fingers.

Her glazed eyes widened in realization "My whistle...I didn't release I lost it"

"It's how I found you" Edward replied in a short tone. He suddenly pulled the blanket tighter onto his body, causing his thick bangs to lower further onto his face.

"Oh..."

"Well, I suppose we should start heading to the hotel," Alric said, facing his sister "We've been cleared by investigations. Are you ready to go Lysandra?"

"Yeah..." She lightly nodded.

Right as they turned around, Alric froze and snapped his head towards the attentive Alphonse "Tell Colonel Mustang that I'm not going to Tucker's for investigative work right now. If he asks, I'm working on getting my annual assessment research together"

Alphonse nodded "Alright"

Alric frowned as he flicked his hands in the air "Maybe you and your brother should say the same. I think we all need a break"

"We don't work like that," Edward suddenly chimed in. Alric's emerald green eyes flickered with curiosity as the golden haired Alchemist lifted his head from his sorrow and exhaustion. Instead of the sadness Alric expect, determination filled his face instead.

That look. It sent shock through Alric's veins

"We can't just move on, but we can keep going forward. Because I want our bodies back" Edward explained.

Alric paused letting his simple, yet hard words enter his head. Seconds later, a lopsided grin crawled on his face, causing him to turn around "Ok, I understand you two. Good luck then"

With his final words, he began his trek back to his hotel along with Lysandra at his arm. He simply passed by soldier after soldier, car after car, building after building until he and his sister were far from prying eyes. And prying ears.

He frowned as he glanced down to Lysandra. He hated to see her so lifeless, so tired. It looked as though she was ready for eternal sleep. However, Alric, even Lysandra herself knew she wasn't going to get any shut eye.

"Brother..." She weakly said, as she dug her head into his plush trench coat.

"What is it?" Alric asked, refusing to lift an eye from the street.

"I'm tired of being trampled over. I'm so tired of being treated like trash. I'm just so exhausted being...like this. I want my eyes back brother. I really do" Lysandra let her voice become nothing more than a squeak.

"I know," Alric replied in a hoarse voice "I do too. I don't want to rely on others just to move, eat, live. I want my arms and legs back as much as you want your sight back. I'll use anyone and anything in sight to help us get that Philosopher's stone. I don't care about anyone else or their lives, because it's just you and me. That's being human. We'll walk over on anyone that dares to stop us, and then we'll be the ones who are finally on top. When I get my limbs back, and when you get your sight..."

"What will we do?"

"We'll kill everyone who messed with us"

* * *

 **Thank you Guest for your review!**

 **So, here's an extra long chapter for you. I hope I twisted things up enough for your enjoyment. Just as note, I imagined Barry the Chopper the way he looked in Brotherhood, before his soul was ripped out of his body. I just used the arc from the 2003 anime and changed it up quite a bit. I know this chapter was pretty heavy, but it's a pretty heavy story, which FMA didn't shy away from at all (and I appreciated that).**

 **I changed the Chopper scene too for what I thought was a good reason. He's much older in Brotherhood than he was in the 2003 anime, so I thought he would act more maturely and level headed towards Barry, even with his arm missing (compared to his naive 11/12 year old self). I thought he would try and think of a plan rather than run for his life just because of a giant butcher knife (I mean, he fought off Cornell as his freaking machine gun!). So, I needed to find another way to break him down, as that was important to the whole arc anyways. And that came in the form of, well, remembrance. And the rest is history.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	6. And So The Black One Grew Darker

**Warning: Mentions of Sexual Assault**

* * *

 _|Chapter 6: And So The Black One Grew Darker|_

* * *

"Ah...my arms and legs are killing me..."

Alric groaned and whined as he rolled his automail limbs around and across his fleshy body. It seemed no matter how many times he twisted his arms or bent his knees, they ached with fury.

With a sigh, he leaked through the curtains of the hotel of the window. Thick, heavy rain poured down in sheets onto East City, coating everything in cold wetness. Not a single soul was found within his view, as though the rain was a deadly acid. The grey skies only seemed to add to his aching pain, not that they weren't furiously hurting before.

The black haired Alchemist let his eyes narrow in annoy as he swung the curtains back in place "This is why I despise the rain. Not to mention how it makes my automail rust. I swear if it keeps pouring down this hard, my arms are going to rust away"

"Right, brother..." Lysandra weakly replied.

Alric could feel his heart twist and turn at her pained words. He furrowed his brows anxiously, before he turned to his sister on the nearby couch. Her hands were tightly wrapped around a hot, steaming cup, its contents barely touched. A thick blanket was wrapped eagerly around her body, as though it was the only source of heat in the entire hotel. It seemed all Lysandra could do was huddle into a ball in the corner of the couch and let her mind wander.

"Are you feeling hungry yet?" Alric asked, drawing himself towards the couch "I could run down and put in an order"

"I'm not hungry" she replied bluntly.

He frowned "Are you certain?"

She nodded lightly, earning a long pause from her brother.

"It might be wise to take a nap then. I noticed you didn't get any sleep last night"

"How could you tell?"

Alric scoffed, collapsing onto the couch "I'm not an idiot, sister. Don't take me lightly"

"Oh...of course. I'm sorry" she replied in a small pained tone. Without another word, she dug herself further into the confinements of her blankets. She felt so warm, so comforted. It was the warmth that seemed to calm her for the time being, considering how the events from before were still fresh in her mind. She could still feel the unknown, cold environment send goosebumps across her skin. She could still feel the icy cold chains cut through her wrists. She could still feel those hands, those evil, warm hands.

So evil. The warmth was evil.

Her eyes widened. She chucked the scary blanket off of her body, causing her full mug to pour across her body. A gasp escaped her throat as the boiling liquid dig into her skin.

"Goddammit Lysandra" Alric leapt from the couch and darted into the bathroom.

"I-I'm sorry" Lysandra weakly replied.

"It's alright, spills happen" Alric's voice softened as he entered the bedroom once more, along with a few towels in his hand. He chucked one onto the ground, before he began to clean his sister from the mess of the dark brown liquid. Lysandra simply let her body curl up once more as she let her brother clean her off, as though she was nothing more than a helpless pet who couldn't even take care of itself. Her glazed eyes stared into the same nothingness her vision was permanently filled with.

And Alric hated it.

"You didn't get burned, did you?" Alric asked. He plucked the stained towel back onto the clean table, before he grabbed the chipped mug and wet blanket. He could already see the money draining from his account just in reimbursement.

"No, I...I'm fine" Lysandra replied. Alric sighed, and carefully settled into the couch once more. Feet from his frightened sister.

"Do you want anything?" The young Alchemist pressed again "Another blanket or something to that effect?"

She shook her head "No. I'm good. I'm fine. Just...just stop treating me like a child"

"I'm only trying to-"

"I know what your trying to do," Lysandra softly snapped back "I hate it. So stop it"

Alric let his brows furrow in disappointment. With a sigh, he drew his eyes to the thick curtains. He stared at the smooth, curved fabric as though it was the pouring rain that sat only inches from the curtains themselves.

"Then are you ready to talk about what happened?" Alric replied in a rather cold tone. He dug his fingers into the plush couch, causing his joints of angrily groan in protest. As well as his bones.

Lysandra's hands seemed to twitch with horror right as those words left his mouth. It was like they were cursed the moment they invaded her eardrums. The memories of the day still made her stomach turn and groan at the mere thought.

"That man...what happened to him?" She asked, avoiding the question.

"It's shameful, really. The military avoided a trial and sent Barry the Chopper straight to the firing squad. I'm glad the bastard's dead, but the military swept everything under the table," He squeezed his hand in frustration "The newspapers avoided the entire event like the plague"

"That is odd. But...I'm relieved he's gone for good"

"But what he did is going to be remembered for the time being, even without coverage from the paper. We found body parts, you know"

"Body...parts?" Lysandra's voice squeaked in shock.

"He's a killer, a murderer. It's not so surprising" Alric replied, his voice becoming hoarse "We're not like those people, Lysandra, people who take lives away for a laughable purpose. I wanted to kill him because he hurt you. And I still do"

"But he's dead, brother" she softly pointed out.

"I know"

"And he didn't hurt me"

Alric's chuckled. It was dry and deprived of anything positive "No, he did hurt you. You were cut gravely today. It's just not on your skin, that's all"

Lysandra sighed, letting her tight, frightened body relax. As though a switch was flipped in her mind, she let her legs stretch out across the couch, her arms hug around her cold skin.

"Today made me realize something, not only about us, but also about...Edward and Alphonse"

"What is it?" Alric softly said, bringing himself closer to his freezing sister. He plucked a clean towel from the table, and carefully wrapped it around his sister.

"The Elric brothers...they are really determined to help anyone that comes their way," Lysandra admitted "We didn't owe them anything yet...they decided to help you"

"I did ask them"

"Yeah, but, they could have easily refused and went back to their studies. They have their own problems but...it's like for the moment, they threw that away for us. I don't understand why"

Alric sighed "We were bound to run into a selfless person sooner or later. We always have. But, you know how it always ends"

Lysandra nodded "Someone shows us kindness and were thrown under the bus moments later. But...the brothers are so young. Kids like us are always selfish and only look out for themselves. Their human transmutation attempt should have destroyed them. That what I don't understand. He's different like us but...he's also different FROM us"

Two human transmutation attempts. Two failures. Two disasters. Yet, two different outcomes. The mere pain and agony should have made Edward and Alphonse indifferent towards everyone they met, like she and Alric were. It should have made them selfish. It should have made them only look out for themselves. It should have made them into anything but a hero.

That's what Lysandra couldn't get through her head. Why were the Elric brothers, through the hardship, pain, and tears, still willing to go through more of that for others?"

"Yeah...that is an interesting thought..." Alric let his mind wander off. They were rather selfless, but also naive. It seemed like the brothers were willing to go through hell for someone they didn't even know. He didn't understand how someone could live with that thought of mind and live through their lives unscaved. It was as though they were letting their guards down, and letting people punch them straight in the face without so much as a flinch.

It's what people do if they wanted a death wish.

"But, it also made me realize something else," Lysandra interrupted "It really is just us against the world. I don't think anyone is really going to understand us. Our pain had formed us into something unrecognizable to people. And...I really don't care"

"It's what I try to say, Lysandra" Alric replied quietly "People call us selfish, uncaring, monsters from time to time. But...is it really that bad to look out for ourselves? What so bad about willing to do anything for eachother? People will walk over us with no thought, yet were evil if we fight back. I don't care about being bad or a monster in the eyes of others. We're only trying to protect ourselves..."

His voice became nothing more than a shallow breath, as though he was unable to yell and scream out his thoughts. It was the only way he could ever defend his views, his mortals, his entire purpose for living. The people around him were nothing more than people: different and dangerous.

And that's why he was willing to take everything from them.

His emerald widened as the phone rang with fury, invading his quiet ears. The two siblings snapped their heads up to the phone, as though it would magically answer itself.

Alric plucked himself from the couch "I wonder who that could be"

As Alric disappeared behind a wall, Lysandra let her body be consumed by the thick towel that laid on her body. All she could do was let her mind run ramped with her rather confused thoughts. The Elric brothers. Selflessness. It seemed those word went hand in hand for the black haired teen. Yet...she couldn't help but notice some bit of selfishness that radiated from them. She couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her observation, but she had a faint idea.

It was just a matter of proving it.

"I'll be on my way, Colonel Mustang" Alric slowly set the phone back into its little home and sighed. Finishing his conversation, he dragged himself back to the living room and swung his trenchcoat over his body.

"The Colonel wants me," Alric explained "I'm assuming he's wants an answer about yesterday"

"Oh, ok" Lysandra softly said.

"Do you want to come?" He asked.

She paused, before burying her face into the towel "No, I'm staying here"

Her face suddenly lot up with something other than torched sadness, as though for a moment, she simply forgot about it. Her head snapped up, as though she was attempting to glance at her brother through the bleak darkness of her eyes.

"You borrowed a couple of books from Mr. Tucker, didn't you?" She asked, causing Alric's emerald eyes to draw to the desk. Sure enough, a few thick, hard covered books rested diligently on its surface.

Alric blinked in stern realization "I almost forgot about that. I'll stop by his house after I get the Colonel out of the way, I suppose"

He swept the books cleanly off the table and stuffed them into what seemed like his endlessly deep coat pockets. Satisfied, he headed to the door.

"I'll be off then," he announced. His thick, old fingers squeaked in agony as he gripped onto the door knob and carefully twisted it. Right as he creaked it fully open, he paused. "...Are you going to be alright?"

"...I will be"

* * *

Alric didn't know why he felt anxious. He didn't have a single clue.

He nervously twisted his thumbs within his hands over and over again, until he was certain that he would twist his thumbs straight off his hands. His rather narrow, yet jumpy eyes glared blankly into his palms, causing his eyebrows to twitch ever so frequently. His feelings of anxiety certainly wasn't helped by Colonel Mustang. Mainly because he would stop staring at him.

The black haired teen blinked in utter awe as he took a simple blink towards Mustang. Sure enough, his black eyes stared intently back at him. It was the same stare he earned from Brigadier General Grand when he first began his journey as a State Alchemist.

Altic gritted his teeth. It was like the damn man never blinked.

"I'm glad to hear you and Fullmetal apprehended that serial killer yesterday," Mustang began "I've been informed he's killed quite a few woman in the area. It would have been unfortunate if he added your little sister to his list"

"Yeah..." Alric sighed, clenching his hands ever so subtly. Even if they groaned angrily.

"How is she doing?" The Colonel asked.

"Lysandra's, still a bit shaken up," he admitted "but other than that, she escaped without a scratch. She's going to need a couple days to mentally straighten herself out, probably. It's why I decided to stay at the hotel, and work on my annual assessment"

"Right, annual assessments are around the corner. Care to explain your assessment project?"

"It's nothing special. I'm just grabbing a few cases from last year and writing formal reports," he chuckled "General Grand didn't care that much for formality. He just cared about results"

"So I've heard..." Mustang trailed off. He knew the General well enough from the Ishvalan war. And he sure loved cutting the bullshit and getting straight to the meat of a situation. It was perhaps why he had one if the highest casualty counts from the war, along with the once famed and revered Crimson Alchemist. The only difference was one went to jail and other gained a promotion.

He quickly shook those thoughts out of his head "But, that's not why I asked you here"

Alric raised his brow suspiciously "Then what for? Does it have anything to do with Tucker?"

"In a sense," Colonel Mustang brought his palms together, letting his sharp eyes peer out "However, let's begin with something a bit simpler. I'm interested to know how you became a State Alchemist. You know as well as I do Brigadier General Grand does not simply give out a recommendation, especially not to kids. But, here you are. What did you do to gain his attention?"

It was like Alric lost what little color he had on his face. The mere question nearly caused him to throw himself off the couch and stomp out in an instant. If it wasn't for the fact that he was on a rather short chain with the military, he would have chucked his pocket watch out a window years ago. However, he knew he was in a rock and a hard place.

With a sigh, he reluctantly related his hands "I suppose there's no point in hiding it now. It's not exactly my proudest moment ever. In fact," he chuckled weakly "I'll be frank and say it's close to my worst moment. I was 13, my sister was 11. We were traveling through Central at the time looking for the Central Command Center. I was planning to take the State Alchemist test anyhow, but I was looking for information. For a moment...just for a moment...I left Lysandra on a corner by herself and went looking for directions. It was dark, but I didn't think much of it. But...when I returned..."

The screams. The desolate screams of his little sister filled his ears once more. He could practically feel the chuckling from those horrid men vibrate through his bones. He could still feel his thick, hot blood rundown his cheek.

And their blood.

"About 4 men surrounded her. They...they started stripping her, ripping her clothes right off her body. And they laughed like she was a toy to their liking. I tried fighting back with my own strength, but I was powerless...they somehow managed to rip my automail leg tight out its socket then...went back to my sister..."

"What did you do?" Mustang asked, pushing him.

"I killed them. I killed them all with alchemy"

Alric raised his head, causing The Colonel, to noticeably widen his eyes. He was utterly astonished he didn't notice it before. He could hardly believe he missed those creased, emerald green eyes of his. It was something he only remembered seeing in the Ishvalan war. It was eyes he saw everyday of his life but...to see them in someone so young...it filled him with absolute pity. For Alric

He had the eyes of a killer.

"It was a bloodbath," Alric croaked out "I don't remember much about killing those men, but I remember the aftermath. There was so much blood. So much...screaming. And lot of crying. I just remember clinging onto my sister and seeing General Grand. The rest was history. He found something in my skills, so he swept everything I did under the rug. I didn't even have to attend a trial. Even now I wonder if that's a good or bad thing"

Alric stood up and wiped his trenchcoat, as though he could still see the blood stain its beaten fabric "Yesterday sort of dug up old memories for my sister, stuff she also swept under the rug...Forgive me for being blunt, but why did you call me?"

Mustang sighed "Alright then, since your so eager, I'll cut to the chase. A certain source informed me of something you should have told me. However, I'm curious than anything else at this point, but that could easily change. Who did you try to bring back from the dead?"

It felt like his heart dropped straight to the ground. No, it felt like it was ripped right out of his chest and stuffed back into his container that was his body. The secret he kept for so many years, the secret the Elric brothers seemed to give out like a headlining newspaper, the secret that made his toss and turn in his bed.

It was human transmutation. And he knew about it.

"Who told you?" Alric painfully replied, holding in his desperate growls within his body.

"I had a conversation with the Sewing-Life Alchemist" Mustang explained.

"Damn that Tucker..." He growled, squeezing his hands to oblivion.

"Before you do something stupid that pisses me off," Mustang bluntly began "Answer my question. Who did you perform human transmutation on?"

It was like there was a razor blade lodged within the black haired teens throat, stopping him from saying a mere peep. How he wanted to storm out. How he wanted to throw himself out a window. How he wanted to bolt to Tucker's and beat the living crap out of him. But he couldn't. If he did, it would ruin his plan. If he wanted to use others, he had to let others use him.

Perhaps it was like equivalent exchange.

Alric sighed, and let his creased, drooping eyes wander to Mustang "We tried to bring back our little brother. He died when he was only six from an accident that involved the military. One thing lead to another and we were drawing a human transmutation circle in our grandmother's basement. I lost all of my limbs and Lysandra went blind. Simple as that"

He stood up, "We both blame the military for his death. That's all I owe you. That's all you need to know"

As much as Mustang wanted to continue to press, he simply didn't. No matter what sort of eyes the black haired teen had, or what he went through, he was simply that. A teen. A kid.

"So...what happens to us now?" Alric asked. He realized his shoulders, feeling defeated as ever "Do I get stripped my my title? Are their going to be soldiers at my door?" He narrowed his eyes into two, deadly slits "Are you coming after Lysandra?"

Alric widened his eyes a certain chuckle escaped Mustang "I think you know that answer to that, Reaper. Fullmetal isn't behind bars, is he? Or his brother?"

"Right...of course..." Like a giant concrete brick was lifted off of him, he released a giant sigh of relief "How could I have been so ignorant?"

"I'll kept this conversation under wraps. It's the same I do with Fullmetal"

"But...why?"

Like the good Colonel he was, he leaned back into his chair, and let a smirk crawl upon hi face "I'm not a fan of paperwork"

He wasn't about to tell his plans for his leadership in the country just yet. Perhaps never. It didn't matter to the Colonel. But it seemed Alric bought it.

A rather anxious grin fell into Alric's equally nervous face "That's quite an incentive"

"That's all I needed to know. Your dismissed"

"Sir" Alric said, raising his straight palm to his forehead like the good little soldier he was. Without as so much as another peep from the Reaping Alchemist, he slowly drew himself to the door and hurried out as though the plague festered in the air.

Mustang frowned as the creaking door softly clicked closed. With a sigh, he plucked his pen out and swept his paperwork back onto his desk. As much as the papers in front of him seemed more like a nuance than actual work, it seemed less painful than the cloudy, rainy day.

It was like he had something else to look forward to.

* * *

If Alric could kill the idiot who thought rain was a good idea to bring to earth he would destroy them in a heartbeat.

His shoes sloshed through the thick rivers of the cold liquid, acting more like stubborn mud than actual mud. He desperately clung onto his umbrella, which blew rapidly against the wind, as though it wanted to be free from his clutches. Suffice to say, he attracted more cold water than his umbrella did, causing his hair to stick against his back and face like glue. His heavy, automail legs and arms didn't exactly help either. In fact, he swore he felt them rusting each second his stupid body dragging itself into the rain.

It was safe to say he regretted his decision to return Tucker's books. But, determined (And very far away from his hotel), he annoyingly trudged on. Even if his arms and legs wanted him to collapse right the middle to the street.

With a deep, needed sigh, he reluctantly exited the alley way and dragged his rather wet body into the street. His eyes flickered with curiosity as his emerald orbs focused upon two figures at the door of the Sewing-Life Alchemist. With the familiar gleaming suit of armor and a small, short red coat, it was painfully obvious to the Reaping Alchemist.

"Edward! Alphonse!" Alric yelled out, causing his smooth lined dress shoes to slide and squeak as he ran for cover. The two brothers snapped their heads around as Alric dived for safety under the overhang of the front door. Quite literally, actually.

"What are you doing here?" Alphonse asked

"And why are you soaking wet?" Edward raised his brow.

Alric sighed as he attempted to twist and pull the water soaked within his body "Er...umbrellas don't work as they used to. Anyways," he pulled a couple of lightly wet books from his coat "I was summoned by the Colonel. I thought I might as well return Tucker's books on while I was out"

"How's Lysandra?" Alphonse questioned once more

Alric's friendly smile seemed to flicker from his face "She's getting rest, but she's doing better. How about you Edward, how are you holding up?"

He earned a few incoherent mumbles in response.

Alphonse's bulky, metal built squeaked and groaned as he rapped on the door "Hello, Mr. Tucker! Thanks for having us again today!"

Although his helmet of a face was as blank as a slate, a bit of confusion crossed him as all was quiet. Not even the expectant sound of shuffling feet filled his armor.

"Huh? Mr. Tucker?" The young Elric knocked onto the door once more, earning not even the slightest response.

"Perhaps he's busy or something" Alric pointed out. Edward however, with a sense of impatiens growing upon his face, body, and soul, lunged out into the door knob and frantically wiggled it.

"Brother what-"

"Come on Al," Edward cut through his words like a hot butter to knife. Suddenly, the door creaked open, revealing the houses dark, empty contents "Let's go find them"

"A-alright..." Alphonse replied with uncertainty. Within another thought, the three teens trudged into the Sewing-Life Alchemist's house. The sound of violent lightning echoed throughout the house, causing the windows to glare with seconds of bright, white light. The rain reluctantly fell onto the roof, only releasing a small, smooth sound that vibrated across the foundation.

"Mr. Tucker?" Alric called out, letting his eyes scan around.

"Hey! Nina?" Edward glancing up the empty staircase.

Alphonse creaked as he slowly lead the two other teens down a dark, decrepit flight of stairs " !"

The three ever so oblivious teens followed the rather beaten up stair case further and further down, letting darkness swallow them up. They followed the smallest speck of light until they finally stepped down the last step, revealing a small, dank room. Transmutation circles crawled across the wall like little roaches, peering down at whatever passed by it. Animals softly snorted or cried out, trapped within a box of metal. And so the Sewing-Life Alchemist stood right in one of giant, red transmutation circles, with his newest creation. His best creation.

"There you are. So you are home!" Edward said as he hopped off the last step.

"Yes" Tucker replied in a smooth, yet dull voice. It seemed so lifeless, yet the boy's did not catch on. Their attention was fixated upon his brown haired, white furred little monster.

Tucker slowly shuffled to the side and raised his hand to his Chimera, revealing its glistening, brown hair that dragged across the dark ground and its fuzzy, with fur. It's two eyes looked nothing more than two, white empty holes, waiting to be filled with life and joy.

Alric flinched. It looked so...unnatural. Inhuman. Ungodly.

Yet, he didn't know what truly made this Chimera ungodly.

"I did it boys. I finally did it. A Chimera that understands human speech. Here, let me show you," he bent bent down to his still creation, and pointed to the excited golden haired teen "Listen to me...that person over there, that's Edward"

The chimera slowly turned its head, letting its unnaturally wide eyes stare into Edward "That person...Ed...ward"

"Yes, that's very good. Well done!" Tucker smiled.

"That's amazing! It can actually talk" Edward exclaimed. In an instant, he walked over to the Chimera and gladly bent towards it

Tucker anxiously chuckled, pushing up his glasses "Now I don't have to worry about losing my certification"

"That person...Ed...ward. That person...Ed...ward," The Chimera repeated, as though it was a innocent, little children's nursery rhyme "That person...Ed..ward"

Edward didn't know what was so familiar about the Chimera. It's stunning white fur did sort of remind him of Alexander. And it's dark brunette hair-like extensions didn't have a similarity to Nina. It's eyes were a bit unsettling to him, but his fascination far exceeded his anxiety.

"Big Brother Ed"

His eyes widened in absolute horror

Edward let his thick, golden hair hide his eyes, his expression, his being, as he slowly stood up " ...When did you first get your state certification...?"

"Let's see..." Tucker raised his hand to his chin "It was two years ago"

"And when did your wife leave you?"

"That was two years ago, too"

"I just have one more question for you...Nina and Alexander..." He snapped his head, revealing his incredibly wide, yet raging golden eyes "Where are they?!"

"Damn brat, figuring it out so quickly!" Tucker clenched his fist in anger. His blue eyes widened as Edward violently shoved him into a wall, and held in him place with nothing but the collar of his shirt.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried.

"Wait...this thing is..." Alric reluctantly draw his eyes to the Chimera. The lifeless, soulless chimera, created from a slobbery, joyful dod and a little girl who brimmed with happiness. It caused his mouth to hang open in complete awe.

"Oh yeah, I figured it out. You did it again! Two years ago, it was your wife! This time you used your own daughter and her dog to transmute a talking chimera! You can only do so much with animals, after all. It's much easier when you start with a human, ISN'T THAT RIGHT?!" Edward sent his heavy, automail fist straight into his cheek bone, causing his glasses to fly straight off his face. The twisted metal and glass shattered and tumbled across the ground, revealing Tucker's eyes. Tucker's happy, twistedly proud eyes.

"I don't see what you're so upset about..." Tucker chuckled, as though not a single thing was wrong "This is how we progress. Human experimentation is a necessary step. I would think a scientist would understand"

"SHUT UP!"

Edward sent another punch into his forehead, causing his skin to split and pour blood. Yet, it seemed like the more pain he brought to the Sewing-Life Alchemist, the more that smile of his stretched across his pale, sunken face.

"Do you really think you can get away with this?! Messing around with someone's life like that?! Your own daughter?!" Edward growled, his fist shaking with rage.

"Someone's life, you say?" A shrill laugh escaped the mad man "Ha ha, you would know all about that, wouldn't you? Look at you, Fullmetal Alchemist...Look at your leg, your arm, at your brother! Those things are also the result of messing around with someone's life, aren't they?!"

"SHUT UP!" Edward slammed his fist into his nose.

Tucker only continued to laugh "We are the same! We're the same...you're just like me!"

Another fist collided with his face. And another, and another.

"We're not!"

"Oh, but yes we are! The opportunity was right in front of us, and we took it! We had to, even though we knew it was against the rules!"

"NO! Not me! Alchemists don't..." Edward screamed, as he punched him once more. His blood splattered all across his wife, shaking eyes "do that! I'm not...I'm NOT!"

Edward yelled as he raised his fist once more, right towards the beaten and bloody Tucker. Right as he swung his fist once more, a certain metal hand stopped him from the deed.

"Brother!" Alphonse yelled "If you keep this up, he'll die!"

Edwards slowly turned his head as he heard feet slosh across the ground. His eyes shook with fear and absolute pity as he looked down at the little, lost Chimera. The oblivious dog and the innocent little girl.

Edward whimpered weakly.

"Ed..ward...no," The Chimera slowly spoke out, as though words pained it "Daddy...do you hurt? Daddy?"

Although Alphonse couldn't show a single expression, shed a single tear, let one howling scream from his lungs, it was clear that his armor churned with disgust and pity "I'm sorry... Even with all our power, we can't do anything to change you back. I'm sorry..." He clenched his fist in the Chimera's hair "I'm sorry!"

"Can we play...now?" It asked. Nina asked "Can we play now?"

Tucker bent over his prized State Alchemist pocket watch, eyeing it with pure infatuation. The silver watch itself mattered much more than any of the pathetic lives that sat within the room. Even his daughter. And perhaps the entire country "I made it just in time... I get to remain a State Alchemist. I passed!"

Edward snapped from Alphonse's iron grip and yanked the pocket watch and threw it into the wall "Like hell you're staying a State Alchemist! Like hell!"

Tucker's crazed face fell as his only purpose in life shattered into two, pathetic pieces, and spread across the transmutation circle. It was as though his little girl died right in front of his own two eyes.

"Can we...play now?"

Alric clenched his shaking fist, letting it settle and rest. Without another word, he stomped over to Tucker, and yanked him off the ground by his thin, blood soaked collar. The Sewing-Life Alchemist simply went limp as his unnaturally wide eyes stared passionately into his broken pocket watch, shattered for what seemed like for eternity.

"Edward, Alphonse, I want you to gather Tucker's research on Chimeras for the military" Alric calmly commanded as he softly latched onto the Chimera.

"Wait!" Edward snapped up to history and rushed to the usually calm Alric "Where are you taking them?"

"Upstairs, away from your fist and your pity," he sharply replied "I'm going to call the command center while you get his research together"

"How could we?" Alphonse exclaimed in absolute shock "Look at what his research has done to Nina and Alexander! We shouldn't be turning it over, we should be burning it!"

"If the military wants it, it's our duty to gather it. They'll want Tucker and…" He glanced hesitantly down to the Chimera. He didn't know what to call it. Was it Alexander? Was it Nina? Was it a sickening combination of them? Or...was it only a fragment of what they used it be?

"What's going to happen to them?" Edward demanded, gritting his teeth.

"They'll send Tucker to a trial and a firing squad soon after that," Alric calmly explained "And she's...she's probably going to be sent to a lab"

"Like hell you are!" Edward yelled, letting his golden eyes widened as he leapt towards Alric. His emerald eyes widened as Edward leapt at his collar, and dug his fleshy fingers into his trench coat "You can't to this! I won't let you! She's just...She's JUST A LITTLE GIRL!"

"We're the dogs of the military, Edward!" Alric snapped back "You know what you signed up for! Bad things happen to good people everyday. Everyday. We don't have time to look at every little lost cause. There's nothing we can do anymore. We get over it"

"Get ov-" Edward was about to scream back.

"We need to keep moving forward and prevent this from happening again. Isn't that what you told me yesterday?"

Edward pursed his lips angrily, struggling to keep his bitter words down his dry, raw throat.

"We should protect the people we love, not cry and whine about the ones that were too good for this world. Like Nina," Alric let his narrow into two, tired slits "If you can't make a simple report and keep your head level because you're too busy punching and yelling your way out, then maybe you should turn in that watch of yours and look for another way to get your bodies back. Maybe you don't belong in the military. Maybe you really don't know what you signed up for"

His eyes widened as he felt a soft nudge against his waist. He didn't need to look down. He knew perfectly well who it was.

"Don't hurt...big...brother Ed...ward" The Chimera croaked out.

With his last icy cold word, Alric yanked the shocked Edward off his shirt, causing him to stumble madly back. Like the cold wind he left behind, he latched onto the Chimera's thick mane and began his trek up the stairs.

The last thing he heard was a bloodthirsty, painful scream before he reached the top.

His eyes flickered with curiosity as he heard a small chuckle from the former Sewing-Life Alchemist. With a curious tilt of his head, he glanced down. Through the bruises, through the bumps, through the blood, a titled, toothy smile still filled his face. A smile that asked to be melted off of what was left of his face, that was.

"You must understand Alric," Tucker said reassuringly "I remember you were always interested in playing around with plants, animals, living things. You know we're the same"

Alric yanked him him up the final step by the back of his shirt, as though his body was nothing but skin and bones "I'm disappointed in you Tucker. Lysandra and I put all of our trust in you, and this is what you do?"

"And your not disappointed in yourself? The evidence is in front of you, your brother, your sister, yourself. How are you different from me if you also played with lives?"

"I never said we were different from you. In fact, I think Alchemist are all alike in someway, but we're not identical copies. Me and my sister made a choice. We decided to do the taboo. We made a decision to try and fix our family. Nina and Alexander didn't have a choice"

"So you made the choice to lose your arms and legs and make your sister blind?!"

Suddenly, a hand shot out into his face, causing his head to violently slam into the wall. Tucker's brushed face seemed to widen as Alric thick, metal hands climbed across his face, latching across his dry mouth as his flared nostrils. The Reaping Alchemist slowly leaned into Tucker's wide, shocked face, until he was mere inches from his crazed eyes.

Like Alric's

"Stop trying to justify what you did you lunatic," Alric growled, letting his creaking hands squeeze into his frail face "You turned your own wife and daughter into monsters. Although...you are the worst kind of monster out of all of your sick creations. I'll be frank, I could care less what happens to you, but nothing beats a dead man. Just one bullet and one report, and you'll be out of my hair. In fact, I just need to sign one little paper and you'll be gone forever. I might be part of the military, but that doesn't mean 'accidents' don't happen. I don't think you can hold your experiments without your mind or body, now can you?"

"Big...brother Alric...stop hurting...daddy" a weak, mangled voice croaked out. Alric mustered the courage to look down at the Chimera's empty, yet tearful eyes.

Tears like a little girl.

A weak, lifeless smile filled Alric's face. He slowly released Tucker from his grip, and softly wrapped his hands around the Chimera. Around Nina.

"I'm sorry Nina, I'll stop"

"Let's...play...please?

"I promise we'll play later. We'll play tag in the yard and Alphonse will let you ride him again, and Edward will chase Alexander across the yard until their lungs burn out. And big brother Alric will make all the daisies you'll ever want. Doesn't...doesn't that sound nice little sister?"

And so tears began to fall from his pained, emerald eyes

* * *

"If there ever was an example of the Devil's work in this world, this case would definitely be it" Lieutenant Hawkeye commented as she slowly shut the door behind her.

Alric stayed awfully silent as he hung his head up high, as though not a single thing affected him in the slightest. Even if no one saw the tears that once stained his cheeks and face.

He was good at improvising.

"The Devil, huh?" Colonel Mustang softly repeated. He let his glaring, black orbs state into the swirling thick clouds that hung in the sky. Similar to how Edward and Alphonse hung on the steps of the house "A State Alchemist must be willing to act, able to take another's life when ordered to without question. In some ways, Mr. Tucker's actions and our own may not be all that far apart when it comes to interfering with other people's lives. We choose our own path, knowing full well what we're doing. That's the way it is...right, Fullmetal? You will more than likely come across cases like this again in the future, and you may have to get your own hands dirty as well. Are you going to shut down like this every time?"

All the young State Alchemist could do was shrivel up his tiny shoulders together "We may be called dogs of the military... We may even be cursed as devils. It doesn't matter. Al and I are still going to get our bodies back. We know the truth. We know we're not devils"

He rose to his feet, and began to scream out into the sky. It seemed like the only thing that would listen to his desperate cries "We know we're not gods! We're human. We're only human! We can't even do anything to save one innocent little girl. So what good are we then?"

Edward's aching, desperate cries echoed within Alric's tender ears, as though the mere sound of his shrill voice was a knife to his brain. Alric let the thick rain soak his face as he stared emotionless into the dark clouds of the evening. He didn't bother to blink nor move as the bitter rain caressed his reddened face and fell right off of his chin. Instead, he let himself be consumed.

"Human...hm?" Alric muttered "If a human couldn't help Nina...Then I'll have to be something superior to save Lysandra"

* * *

 **Thank you Guest, JustAnotherFairy, and BlowUpKarzahini for your reviews!**

 **Guest : Indeed, the feels are real (And they're not gonna get any better...)**

 **JustAnotherFairy : Now that I think about it, Alkahestry is going to play an important part with Lysandra when she meets father...I'm going to have to think about that...**

 **BlowUpKarzahini : I'm extremely glad that you think Lysandra and Alric are unique! I really wanted to portray the as different people with their own goals and values in mind. I didn't just want them to tag along with Ed and Al with little purpose or just because it was convinence of the plot. I wanted them to join with their own purposes and mold them into FMA, not have FMA mold around them too much (Or...I hope I portrayed it like that so far...). Anyways, their divergence from Ed and Al was really important to me, so I'm glad you saw that.**

 **Well, this chapter was a rollarcoaster of emotions. I didn't realize how much of the feels this chapter had until I went back to review it. I feel like I pretty much tore someone's heart out and stomped it to death (That's how it felt for me, in the very least). I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	7. Deadman Walking

_|Chapter 7: Deadman Walking|_

* * *

"Mr. Tucker...transmuted his daughter into a Chimera?"

Lysandra could hardly believe her ears. She could hardly believe the words that rolled smoothly from Alric's pained tongue. Her wide, glazed eyes were agape with absolute shock, as though she saw all of what Tucker did to his poor, poor daughter. The scene was implanted right into her head, as though her brother ripped open her skull and stuffed his sicking words right into her brain. She imagined something absolutely inhuman.

Like the blackness corpse of her little brother.

Alric slowly nodded his head, even if Lysandra couldn't see it. Although his voice was hoarse from his tears, he was glad his sister couldn't see his face. His tear stained, puffy face.

"Yeah...Tucker played with Nina like a...like a lab animal" Alric calmly said. He tightened his cold, hard fist, letting it cry out into the hotel room.

"But-but, he was such a nice guy when we met him! He seemed so happy with his daughter and wife-" Lysandra frantically replied

"His wife was his first Chimera," The black haired teen sliced through her words as though they were merely paper "He used her to get his State Certification"

"But he showed us gratitude! He showed us kindness!" Lysandra jumped to her feet, causing her tea to shake with vengeance as he rammed into the table "When we told him about what we did that day, he didn't kick us to the curb! He...he..."

All Lysandra could do was let herself be consumed in the darkness of her eyes. She didn't no what else to do. It was like Tucker sent a few bullets in her heart and left her to die on his doorstep, all with a friendly smile. A friendly smile she could only see within her head.

Her eyes shook as Alric consumed her in a giant hug. Her arms flaid and shook as she was uncomfortably squeezed against her brother's chest.

"He's dead," she softly whispered, like the cruel snake of death that slithered in Lysandra's ear "He was sent to a firing squad soon after the military came. They skipped a trial and sent him to die. Like they always seem to do these days"

"And..." She paused, letting her eyes narrow "what about his daughter?"

"I don't know. She's still at the house from what I know. The military is planning to send her to a lab in a different car"

"A lab?"

"A lab"

"Oh...I didn't think she was that far gone..."

The image of that Chimera laid fresh in Alric's mind, as though Tucker burned it right on his skull. Nina's flowing, chestnut hair. Alexander's fluffy, white fur. It's unnaturally long, twisted fingers. It's hunched, bony back. And most of all, he couldn't forget it's eyes, it's empty, crying eyes. It was one of the only times that he was glad Lysandra couldn't see beyond the blackness of her eyes. No human soul should have seen it.

 _Don't...hurt...daddy_

Alric gritted his teeth "There was no turning back. That thing wasn't Nina, or Alexander. Alchemy had the power to do that. Turn something human into something inhuman"

"Then why do you still call the Chimera Nina?

"Because what was left of it still wanted to play with us. That's was Nina alright...right to the very end..."

He gritted his teeth. Perhaps that little golden haired Alchemist wiggled much further into his head than he previously thought.

Without another thought, he released his tight, cold grip from his sister and drew himself to his coat. He plucked his trenchcoat, that hung lopsided across the couch, and let himself be consumed by its rather rough, yet comfortable interior. He briefly it glanced outdoors, revealing a grey, cloudy sky deprived of any shred of happiness. And also rain.

"It doesn't look like it's going to rain today," Alric commented "Come on, let's go out for a short stroll"

"Yeah, that's sounds nice..." Lysandra softly replied "Grab an umbrella then, just in case"

Alric scoffed at the very idea "We'll be perfectly alright without it. It's just a short walk"

"Uh huh, right," Lysandra crossed her arms, sarcasm dripping from her voice "Whenever you say that it starts pouring like hell"

"Hell is quite a strong word there, sister," Alric replied, bringing a rather smug smirk to his lips "For rain, in the very least"

"Because it does!"

And so a small chuckle went in between the Whitewood siblings. It was as though for a mere moment, the events of the past days simply disappeared into thin air, or never even occurred. It seemed like for a few seconds at least, it was the naive sibling bond that they remembered long ago.

A bond that only came with their little brother.

It didn't take long for Lysandra to slap on her dress and jacket before the Whitewood siblings headed into the empty, barren streets of East city (Along with that important umbrella, of course). Like always, Lysandra clung onto her brothers arm as though it was for dear life. They crawled through the unusually empty streets, rounding various corners and buildings until it seemed like Alric lost himself within the city. The two stayed perfectly quiet, refusing to pep a word to one another. Yet, they are awfully content.

Until Alric turned a corner to Tucker's house.

Right as he stepped over the corner, his stomach dropped. Soldiers crawled across his lawn like mice searching for food. Cars uncomfortably blocked the house, as though it was a failed attempt at a blockade. Not a single light was on within the cursed house, letting its darkness seep into the cloudy, cold streets.

 _Big...brother..._

"What's wrong?" Lysandra asked. She lightly tugged at her brothers' arm, causing him to snap out of his fresh, violent thoughts.

"N-nothing. It's nothing," Alric quickly yet weakly assured "I've made a wrong turn, that's all"

"We're at Mr. Tucker's house, aren't we?" Lysandra quietly responded. Her blank eyes widened as she felt Alric's arm go stiff. It was...odd for Lysandra to see him to so secretive. She knew enough of the situation, yet it seemed like Alric was hiding more. Much more.

"Yeah..." Alric softly whispered, letting the words escape his torchered throat.

"Why did you lie to me?"

"We were supposed to take this off of our minds with this walk. I just managed to do the opposite"

He furrowed his brow angrily, letting disappointment reek off of already stinking body. It was as though fate had different plans or him. Plans that didn't include a quite happy ending. Plans that wanted him to let new feelings simmer in within his heart. It was strange, really.

Why did he feel guilt for a little girl he knew was already lost?

"Alric!" A voice called out. Alric immediately snapped his emerald eyes open and followed the source of the rather loud, yet soft sound.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye," The black haired teen blinked in surprise "What brings you here? I thought the investigation wrapped up this morning"

A look of disappointment crossed Hawkeye's face "The Colonel hasn't informed you, hasn't he?"

"What do you mean?" Alric raised his brow suspiciously.

"After Mr. Tucker was transported to the jail, we found Nina...dead" Hawkeye explained.

"D...dead?" Alric whispered

"She was murdered. We don't know who exactly yet, but we're compiling a list of suspects"

With narrowed eyes, Alric stepped forward, causing Lysandra to be dragged along like an old doll. He held out his free hand demandingly, flicking his fingers forcefully towards his body "Give me a few names. I'll jump on this investigation"

"That won't be necessary, Alric," Hawkeye responded, letting her strict demeanor cover her face once again "We have more than enough aid from Central at this point"

"Lieutenant-"

"The Colonel made it clear that he doesn't want you or the Elric brothers to investigate this further," she snapped back "It doesn't concern you anymore"

Alric opened his mouth to fight back against her words. He desperately wanted his fighting words to burst from his mouth and land violently upon Hawkeye yet...his brain simply gave up. Arguing wasn't going to make a difference, the military taught him that well enough. No matter how much it angered and frustrated him, it was truly out of his hands. And besides, why should he care anymore?

Nina wasn't his sister.

He slowly reacted his hands, and reluctantly nodded "I understand"

"Before you go," Hawkeye slipped her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a small, slightly wrinkled letter "Lieutenant Hughes wanted me to give you this. It's regarding Brigadier General Grand"

Alric curiously eyed the letter as he plucked it from her hand, as though its contents were scribbled out on the envelope itself. He briefly held it up to the cloudy, yet brightly lit sky, letting light seep through its thin contents. When he flipped the letter onto its back, he sighed. Sure enough, it was from the man who always gushed over his wife and daughter.

And he still didn't miss him. Too much at least.

"What's this about?" Alric asked, letting the mysterious letter sit in his hand "Did something happen to my former superior?"

"I don't know what the Lieutenant wrote exactly in that letter, but I have a clue," Hawkeye said, aa though she began to dangle the carrot of needed information right in front of Alric's eyes. That soon disappeared once she snapped her body around, and began her trek back into Tucker's estate "But, that's for your own eyes. He wrote that for a reason"

With her last words, Hawkeye slithered past a few soldiers until she disappeared back into the house, letting the black haired teen sit uncomfortably with his letter. He simply stated at the small, shiny wax seal melted onto the envelope until it seemed like he would crack open the letter with mere mental, power.

"So...Nina is dead huh?" Lysandra sighed "I have a bad feeling about General Grand of everyone around us keeps of dying left and right"

"Everyone?" He raised his brow.

"Barry the Chopper. Mr. Tucker. Now Nina"

Alric shrugged. Within seconds, he pulled away from the giant scene at Tucker's grand estate and disappeared into the streets of East City once more "I suppose that's better than being a test subject for the rest of her life"

"That's not the point, Alric. She shouldn't have been one in the first place. She should have just had a real life with a loving family..."

"That's just a fantasy. All of that is," Alric softly snapped back "That's not how life works the days. It's like I said to the Elric kid' we just have to get over it and keep moving forward. We prevent what we can and we let things go their course when it all becomes too much. Because in the end, it's just about us and no one else. That's why we have to put our trust in Alchemy, so we know we'll always be safe, along with the occasional person or two for good measure"

Lysandra lightly nodded, agreeing with her big brother. Yet...doubt began to creep into her mind. It seemed like they let things go their course more than they actually prevented anything. She felt like she floated mindlessly through her short life, letting it happen around her. Where was the control? How could she keep moving forward knowing things weren't finished?

A tiny part of her felt as though she was blindly accepting selfishness.

As Lysandra pondered over her thought, Alric finally mustered up the courage and tore open the letter. He simply stuffed the crumpled envelope into his coat and let his curious eyes consume the said letter. The deeper he read into the letter, the tighter his fingers became. The longer his prying eyes scanned the words, the wider his emerald eyes became. The more the words on the page settled into his mind, the more the horror appeared on his face, until there was nothing left but shock.

He stopped in the middle on an alley, and let the letter shake in his hand.

"General Grand..." Alric's voice shook with shock "He couldn't have...it's not possible...he's...been murdered?"

The sound of sharply cracking bones snapped through the cold air.

"BROTHER!"

Alric narrowed his eyes.

He violently shoved Lysandra into the wall, letting her shoulder and head collide into the wall until she finally fell to the ground. The sound of violent grunting filled her ears, as though it was the sound of pure rage. All she could do was cling onto the wall and pray to God that her brother was alright.

Alric smoothly stepped to the side, letting the dark sinned man's beefy palm slip past his head. The man slammed hit foot forward, and snapped his body towards the young State Alchemist. With an incredibly sharp frown upon his face, the man went in for a swift, heavy kick right towards Alric. Before the hefty kick collided into Alric's fleshly body, he jumped into the air and curved his back over his leg, far from the madman. With deadly, emerald eyes, he slammed into the ground and skidded to a stop, letting his automail fingers screech and flare up as they scraped the pavement.

"Lysandra!" He called out "Are you alright!?"

Lysandra slowly lifted herself up, safely behind the dark skinned man and his large build "I'm fine!"

The man slowly lifted his head, revealing a small pair of dark glasses. What caught Alric's attention however wasn't his abnormally bulky, strong build nor his snow white hair. It was the deep scar that was embedded into his forehead, crossed over his thick eyebrows and eyes like an X.

Like the perfect target.

"So, you must be Alric Whitewood, the Reaping Alchemist...I've finally found you

"The scar-faced man replied, raising his deadly hands safely to his face.

"Who the hell are you?" Alric demanded.

The man cracked his palm, and lunged towards his unholy target "That's none of your concern!"

Alric immediately ducked as the man sent his strong palm right where his skull should have been. His hand simply sliced through the air, deprived of any human skull to decimate. With a loud snarl, he sent his plam into the ground, causing it to shatter and bow like an ocean of stone and dirt. Alric widened his eyes as he was suddenly flung into the air, like a flightless bird chucked into the sky. The scar-faced man's glasses hid his deathly narrowed eyes as he sent his muscle palm straight into the air. And caught the teens leg.

"Dammit!" He hissed as he fell upside down right into his head. He kick furiously with his other leg, only to let the man cling onto his captured leg "I don't have my gauntlets!"

"I'll get rid of this leg so you aren't capable of escaping the wrath of God" he man announced. With a snarled face, he clamped into what he thought was his warm, freshly leg. Except it was not warm, nor fleshy.

"I guess appearances are going out the window now!" Alric shuffled through his pockets and pulled out a handful of green, small seeds. With a clap of his hands, the seeds sprung to life and sparked brilliantly. The scar-faced man's eyes widened under his glasses as a horde of thick vines swallowed him up, circling around him like deadly snakes until they wrapped tightly around his body and arms. Alric crashed straight to the ground, letting his pants rip within the man's iron grip

"Lysandra! Get out of here!" Alric demanded as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his rusting automail. Even through the wall of vines, the dark skinned, mysterious man noticed his un-humanly body parts.

Lysandra heaved a giant stone from her view "No! I not going to just leave you here!"

"Are you a complete idiot!? Go! This insane man is obviously trying to kill me!"

"Exactly! I won't leave you or your stupid ass!" Lysandra yelled, earning a large, audible groan from Alric. She knew exactly what Alric wanted to say. Why he wanted her to leave. Why she was utterly useless. She was going to prove him wrong.

Even if it wasn't what he was actually thinking.

"Unusual. Automail arms and legs..." The scar-faced man thought quietly to himself. With a crack of his knuckles, he dug what little of his hand he could move into his natural prison "I see...you perform transmutation by pressing your hands together. Now I understand what I just do"

Suddenly, a horde of wooden shards and plant growth exploded, causing them fly in what seemed like every direction. Alric narrowed his eyes and tensed up his rusty arms close to his face. His arms squeaked with fury as he swung them safely to his body, ready to fight once more. From the dust and debris, the deadly man slowly revealed himself.

"Why the hell are you after me?" Alric growled, letting his metallic hands tense up"

"I am an agent of god," the man proclaimed. Thick, brown dusts swirled around his thick body, as though it was too afraid to consume him "I must pass down the judgement your country deserves for its crimes against my people"

"What crimes? How can I take responsibility if I don't know what I even did?" Alric yelled.

"That part is quite obvious, Reaping Alchemist," The dangerous man cracked his neck, causing the noise to echo through the alley "It is what you Alchemists create that is the very sin of this world"

"Cre...ate?" Alric muttered back, letting the words barely escape his lips. In mere moments, his emerald eyes widened like they never had before. It all came crashing down to him in seconds. His once tense, tight fists became shaky and loose, as though the nuts and bolts that held them together we're ready to jump out and reduce his arm to mere scrap metal. He knew what he created all those years ago, in his grandmother's basement. It truly was a sin of this world.

He created a monster out of his little brother.

Lysandra heard those evil shoes dig into the ground once more.

"ALRIC!"

It all happened in a blink on an eye. The stunned, black haired teen blinked back into reality, inches from certain death. All he could see was a giant, meaty hand lunge right towards his face, ready to cook his brains right out of his skull. Alric groaned as he frantically stumbled back, slashing his hand protectively in front of him. At least until, the scar-faced man clamped onto it. Right as his thick, dark hands caught his arm, Alric gasped.

"Alchemy can't protect you anymore, Reaping Alchemist" The man quietly threatened, death lingering within his voice. Without as so much as a twitch from the shocked black haired teen, the man let out a howling growl, and tightened his grip.

And so his arm exploded into incomprehensible pieces.

Alric's body went completely limp in utter shock as his once fine, working arm became nothing more than shards of metal that exploded in every direction. It simply cracked and shattered, crawling up and falling into pieces until it crawled up to the very stump of his body that it was once connected to. Alric slammed violently into the ground, letting his body bounce against the hard, stone pavement. He didn't bother to grunt or mutter a single word. Shock consumed his body.

"My...arm..." His wide, emerald eyes slowly shifted to where his left arm should have been, now nothing more than a mangled stump.

"BROTHER! ALRIC!" Lysandra screamed out "SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE!"

Those words. Those familiar, pleading words. It snapped Alric right out of his shock. He snapped his back up at the sound of creeping foot steps. He glared harshly as the scar-faced slowly approached him, bursting right from the alley. Even behind those glasses of his, his radiant, murderous glare still pierced right through them. A glare he was quite familiar with.

"I will give you a moment to say your last words and pray to God" The scar-faced man announced as he crept closer and closer.

Without another thought, Alric ripped through his coat pocket and pulled out a quite sharply curved knife. The silver edge of his dangerous knife only reflected his narrowed, deadly glare, a glare that was prepared to live at any cost.

"Like hell I'm going to let someone like you kill me," Alric hissed "I have a promise to keep, a promise not even God would think of making"

"Hm. Then I suppose I am breaking that promise for you, whether you like it or not" The man announced. He slowly rotated his head around his neck, letting its crack and snap with every little movement he made. That same sound swam into Lysandra's frail ears, like a gloomy tune that would soon melt into her brother's own bones.

All she could do was cling onto the wall for dear life and wait for that final snap she knew would be her brother's little neck. But...she didn't want to wait. She didn't want her brother to die. She didn't want this man to kill her brother. She didn't want to feel utterly helpless.

She didn't want to feel useless anymore. Because she truly couldn't take it anymore.

She narrowed her watery, white glazed eyes, and scrunched her nose dangerously "No, you're not going to die Alric. I won't let this man kill you!"

Without another thought, she pulled out her silver whistle and a small, silver kitchen knife. She let her hands run tightly against the handle of the knife, causing her vines to pop out and twist against her thin skin. She blew that silver whistle as hard as she could, and dated forward with absolute purpose. With a forceful stomp, she hopped into the air and dug that silver knife straight into the man's thick shoulder.

Alric watched in shock as a thick river of hit blood burst from the killer's skin, consuming the little knife that began it all. The man only seemed to grunt in annoyance, as though he dangerous knife in his shoulder was nothing more than an small, needle that only pricked his skin. Either way, bought Lysandra enough time to flip over his entire being, and skid close to her fallen brother.

"Alric, what happened?" Lysandra asked, softly blowing her whistle. She let her hands run across the ground as she heard sound reflect against the blaring sound of her whistle "I heard an explosion"

"The damn guy blew up my arm..." Alric grunted painfully as he stumbled awkwardly to his feet. He let his eyes glance over Lysandra's dirty shoulder, revealing the man and the bloodied, small knife tightly in his hand "I can't tell how he did it. It's like everything he touches is destroyed"

"Your arm?" Lysandra gasped. She quickly ran her hands across his shoulder, only feeling a cold, metal stump.

"We can talk about it later. We need to get to the command center and-"

In an instant, the ground beneath the two siblings began to shake and crumble, as though a massive earthquake rocked the entire city. The stone floor spread apart violently in large, sharp chunks, as though they were floating rocks within the great big sky. Alric immediately shoved the knife in his pocket and yanked Lysandra by her jacket, causing her to squeal in shock. The black haired teen forcefully pulled his little sister through the crumbling ground, until they weaved and hopped to safety on the other side. Far from the scar-faced man.

Through the thick dust, the man emerged. With a hidden glare sharp enough to cut through flesh, he flicked the small, kitchen knife onto the ground, as though it was a pathetic assassination attempt. An attempt that would make the Whitewood siblings cost dearly.

"Those who intervene will also suffer the same consequences," The man growled, raising his tattooed hand close to his chiseled face "I shall send you both to god!"

Without another word, he began to charge the two siblings once more, more purposeful than ever.

Alric could see that well enough.

The Reaping Alchemist grunted in shock as Lysnadra frantically dug through his cuat pocket, and pulled out that sharp, curved knife of his. Before he could say another word, she slashed it right front of herself and pointed it right towards the dangerous man.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Alric demanded "We have to go!"

She let the knife shake in her hand, her thoughts invaded with her brother's words. Her body told her to fight until she felt the man's beating heart in her hand. Her brother's words told her to run like hell and pretend she never heard a thing. Her eyes couldn't help her at all. They simply told her to stay put, like helpless bait.

"Screw it," Alric hissed. Without as so much as another word, he yanked Lysandra and made a run for it. Scar burst out between the siblings, letting his palm hand in the air like his own physical weapon. Alric and Lysandra quickly ducked, and scattered quickly into the alley once more. The black haired teen growled as he yanked his knife back from Lysandra and violently threw it into the air, letting it cut right past the man's abdomen. Alric's eyes widened as a loud, shattering crack escaped his remaining arm, as though someone snapped a piece of thick glass.

And so his remaining, rusted arm fell limp against his side.

"No, no, no..." Alric frantically whispered as he feverishly attempted to move his arm. His eyes widened wider and wider in panic as his automail refused to move a mere inch. His fingers gently twitched and twisted and he put his heart and soul into making his arm move.

"Come on!" Lysandra hissed. She grabbed a handful of his leather trenchcoat and yanked him down the alley. Alric quickly snapped out of his panic and began to run as fast as his automail legs could carry him. He didn't bother to look back. He knew that would only slow him down.

His remaining limp arm dragged behind him, bouncing against his body like a heavy sail that slowed him down in the wind. It seemed his mangled, metal stump where his other arm should have been ached for another arm, both mentally and physically. It was like without it, hope began to fade from his being.

The very little hope he had, in the least.

Lysandra frantically weaved around corner after corner, letting the sounds guide her across the labyrinth that was the alley of East City. She forcefully blew against the whistle in her mouth, letting the wall harshly echo back into her ears. She didn't know where she was going. She barely knew where she even was, but she didn't care. As long as she and her brother was safe.

As long as they were still alive.

Right as Alric stomped around another corner, an ear shattering crack shot through his ears, as though something shot right through his thick, metal leg. His eyes widened in complete terror as his knee rammed into thigh, cramming his automail into an odd, bent position. A position he couldn't move.

Rusted, orange pieces flanked off as he tumbled to the ground,mankind his sister straight down. He feverishly kicked and jabbed his leg across the ground, yet no matter how much of his heart and soul he put into leg, it refused to move an inch. As his frantic jabs through the air drew out more and more, the realization finally dawned on him. The abnormal squeaks and groans. The rusted, chipped parts. The stiffness. It all hit him like a ton of bricks right to his spine.

His automail failed on him. All because he was too thick headed to go to Rush Valley to get it checked.

He was going to die.

No matter how much Lysandra yelled and screamed at him, it was absolutely useless to him. What little hope he clung onto simply dissolved into the damp ground below his being. He simply went limp, like a rag doll waiting to be torn apart by its abusive master. All he could see in himself was the hopeless little bit who was nothing but a stump with a blind little sister who could hardly take care of him. He couldn't move without help. He couldn't eat without help. He couldn't survive without help.

He was nothing.

"Alric! Get up! Alric!" Lysandra cried out. The frantic teen tugged and yanked at his utterly limp arm, pulling him like a mere paper weight. She could practically feel the deadly man's footsteps shiver through her veins. She could practically feel his hot, meaty palm clamp onto her face. It was something she desperately wanted to avoid, yet her brother laid upon the ground like the limbless body he practically was.

"Heh..." He weakly chuckled, utterly deprived of life "Look Lysandra, only my right leg is working. My left arm is gone, my right arm doesn't move, and left leg is locked in place. I'm a human disaster"

"Shut up and get up! Hurry, before that man comes!" Lysandra yelled, pulling his utterly limp body down the dark, empty alley. His remaining arms scraped and screeched as she yanked his body through the alley, as though she was attempting to set Alric on fire.

"Go ahead. I think I'll stay here" Alric said calmly. He let his tired, emerald green eyes over up into the thick clouds. It seemed the longer he stared, the more rain appeared. It didn't take much longer until small droplets began to drip onto his paled face.

"That man brother! That man is coming!" Lysandra cried out. She frantically heaved as she dragged him around a corner.

"I don't care. As long as he doesn't touch you I'm...content. Yeah, content. I'm just a burden to you anyhow"

Suddenly, Lysandra latched onto his face and yanked it closer to her own red, hot face. Alric's once calm, hopeless eyes filled with shock as his head was nearly yanked from his neck. They only widened further as they met his sister's furious, enraged eyes. Although her glazed eyes did not stare directly into her pupils, it certainly dung take away from the anger that boiled through her veins.

"Your going to get your ass off the ground right now," she hissed sharply, like a knife cut right into his ear canal "The only way your dying is through old age or by my own hand. If your really giving up on me right now, I'll get that knife and drive it into your heart. I don't give a damn what you think of yourself, what important is what I think of you. You're not a burden, you're my brother. That's...that's all that matters"

All Alric could do was stare into Lysandra's determined eyes. Although blindness took much away from her, it certainly didn't take away the emotion that spilled out of them. And the seriousness that spilled out of them.

Suddenly, living sounded much better than having a knife in his chest.

"Now," She shoved his head down and yanked his arm up "Get up"

Alric never thought he could nod in such little time. With a grunt, he managed to sit up right, letting his sister groan and swung him right across her shoulder. Alric grunted as poured his weight onto Lysandra, hopping across the alley on his one remaining leg.

"Lysandra?" Alric weakly said.

"Hm?" Lysandra's voice softened.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for giving up. I'm ashamed"

"I know," she weakly smiled.

"I feel like what I said before," Alric replied "A human disaster"

"Me too. But, I think we're still fine"

"How?"

"Because we have each other. That's the only thing we've had since we tried to bring back Jericho"

"Yeah...we have each other"

* * *

It seemed like hours passed by for the two siblings until they finally reached some form of help. Sure, it took nearly thirty minutes for the medics to unlock his leg so he could actually walk, but was better than being a sitting duck. Especially when he still couldn't use his limp arm. Or his stump of an arm.

It was only the then found out that the man, who everyone called Scar, went on the prowl once more and attacked the Elric brothers. It seemed that man was simply thirsting for blood. It was safe to say a bit of satisfaction filled him when he found out he was shot. Alric was nearly in shock when a soldier lead him the scene, revealing Alphone's mangled body. Edward's missing arm was only icing on top of that particular cake.

Alric peeked at Edward's limp sleeve from the corner of his eyes as he leaned against the wall "So, he destroyed your arm too, hm?"

Edward barely let his golden eyes sway to his own arm stump, as though the sight of it would make his leg shatter "Yeah. What about you? What did he do to you?"

"Left arm. I've been neglecting my automail for a while, so my right arm stopped moving, and my left leg locked in place. Currently...I can't use my arms" Alric said softly. Although he was in bad shape, he simply couldn't compare himself to Alphonse. Nearly half of his entire being was missing. Shards of metal, his body, laid managed and twisted inside his empty shell, drowned in a puddle he couldn't pull himself out of. He could see his dark red blood seal, even through the thick sheets that held him together. He was quite literally a sitting duck. He was quite literally helpless.

Yet he sat contently on the ground next to his equally content little sister.

"I never got the chance to ask this, after the Barry the Chopper incident, but, are you alright?" Alphonse asked, turning his helmet slightly.

"Me? What about you?!" Lysandra exclaimed "Everyone is telling me that half of you is gone!

"Oh. This?" Alphonse let his glowing eyes rundown his mangled body, as though there wasn't a single scratch armor "Don't worry, I'll be whole again soon. Do I sound hurt?"

Lysandra buried her head into her knees in thought. She let his hollow, kind voice echo through her head and straight into her brain. She furrowed her brows only seconds later.

"Not really, I guess," She shrugged "Either your not in as bad of shape as everyone is telling me, or your just strong"

"I don't know. I have to say I've never had my body blown apart like this before" Alphonse admitted.

"You must have been excruciating pain then"

"I wouldn't know. I don't feel anything in this hollow armor. It was like...It was like I was watching myself from a distance. I didn't feel connected, if that makes any sense"

"I guess what your trying to say is that your a host to that armor," Lysandra thought "From what brother told me, your soul is bound to a suit of armor. It's not really your body, so you can't connect with it mentally. It's just a vessel..."

Alphonse anxiously chuckled "I-I suppose. Wow...I never took the time to sit down and think about it..."

"I didn't mean anything about it!" Lysandra frantically waved her hands in the air "I'm just thinking out loud! I'm just thinking like brother does. He doesn't really think of his automail as apart of himself so...I assumed the same logic applied to a human soul bound to armor"

"Really?" Alphonse asked, surprise in his voice "Brother is the opposite. He always thought his automail is apart of him, ever since he decided to have the operations. He still wants to get his body back though"

"Oh. That's...great" Lysandra softly replied. It was odd to her, hearing that Edward thought of his artificial limbs as his own. She knew Alric thought of his as his way walk and eat, not as actual limbs. He never thought of them as apart of himself (That was probably the reason why he kept them rust into oblivion...), but rather a placeholder until he got back his real arms and legs.

Perhaps they were a constant reminder of what he lost.

"Ishvalan?" Edward raised his brow "What's an Ishvalan?"

"Who, not what Fullmetal. The Ishvalans were a race of people who lived to the east of us. They believed their god Ishvala was the one, absolute creator. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still conflicts between us and them" Colonel Mustang explained.

"But what sparked Scar's hatred for us?" Alric asked "Does it have something to do with the military?"

Mustang noted "Thirteen years ago, a military officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child... And that led to a full blown civil war. One uprising led to another, and before long, the rebellion had spread to the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this. an order came down from the military high-command...to exterminate Ishval. Many State alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the State Alchemists produced striking results. That man is an Ishvalan survivor. In a sense, his revenge is justified"

"No way!" Edward sharply snapped "There's no justification for taking revenge on people who had nothing to do with it! He's just dressing his ugly lust for vengeance in the mantle of his god and calling himself an agent of justice"

"You don't need justification for revenge, you just need a strong motivation," Alric pointed out "In this case, exterminating State Alchemists like the military did to his people"

"Still, the fact is, he's coming at us with full force. We can't let ourselves be killed for his cause. Next time there will be no more talk," The Colonel snapped his head towards his small, unit of men "Got it?"

"Yes sir!"

"Well," Hughes strolled in like the casual Lieutenant he was "Ed, Alphonse, Alric, Lysandra "what are you going to now? What's the plan?"

Edward glanced down to his fallen brother "We're going to keep moving. We can't just sit around, not as long as we're still alive"

"Brother..." Alphonse replied reluctantly

"Before we can make any headway on getting your body back, we have to get my arm back to normal," the golden haired Alchemist replied "After all, I'm the only one who knows how to bond your soul to the armor"

"Uh huh"

"We've got no choice. It's been a long time, but we need to pay a visit to our mechanic" Edward said

Alric took a quick glance at his sister, as though she was able to notice his demeanor "Then we're coming along. I need a new arm or two, and serious matinence. I can't do much, let alone alchemy without working automail. Your mechanic wouldn't mind a new customer, would he?"

"You mean you don't have your own mechanic?" Edward asked, raising his brow in surprise.

The Reaping Alchemist shook his head "We used to, but now we wander around until we bump into someone with good hands and a good price"

Edward let his eyes wander down to Alphonse, as though he was seeking some type of approval. That blood seal deep within the depths of Alric's notebook still brought unease to his stomach. That was a clear sign he was hiding something far bigger than he originally anticipated. Something that could get his and his brothers bodies back. He didn't quite trust him or his sister yet, but he didn't need to. Yet, anyways.

With a tiny nod of his brother's helmet, Edward snapped his head back up.

"Alright then. Then we're off to Resembool"

* * *

 **Thank you both of the guests (I'll call you guest 1 and guest 2 for identification purposes) for your reviews!**

 **Guest 1: You'll find about why Alric dislikes the military soon enough! You'll just have to be patient.**

 **Guest 2: I'm glad your liking the contrast and characterization of Alric as opposed the Elric brothers. I've wanted to write a different sort of character for a while, so it's nice to see someone wanted to see something different as well.**

 **Well, there's another side of Lysandra for you, and of course Scar. It was an interesting chapter to write, especially Alric's breakdown. I think that's enough angst for now (I didn't realize how angsty these few first chapters would really be until I got everything together an began to write everything).** **I'm not saying the next chapters are all hugs and smiles, but they certainly aren't full of death and dispear (Or, that's how it seems to far as I'm writing it, in the very least).**

 **Just as a heads up, I won't be updating next Friday. Unfortunately, I have finals next week and I want to focus on my studies. Sorry to anyone who was looking forward to the next chapter next week, but I'll be back! I should have the next chapter up the week after. Good luck to anyone who still has finals coming up! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	8. True Intentions

_|Chapter 8: True Intentions|_

* * *

"Up...here?"

"Yeah, a little of the left"

"Here?"

"No, I said a little to the left"

"Then here?"

"That's too much to the left Lysandra! Now a bit to the right!"

It seemed Alric's ceaseless commands drove internally within the quite frustrated teen's head, like a endless lullaby that wanted to drive her to complete insanity. Lysandra groaned as she struggled to lift the incredibly heavy suitcase into the small compartment that hung right over the plush, red seats. She stood painfully on the top of her toes, only inches from certain failure. She knew one step back would mean pain. And a lot of it.

If Alric could facepalm in utter frustration, he certainly would. Except he didn't have the luxury of hands. Or arms.

Although one of his leather sleeves hung aloof against his body, his quite useless and broken arm was simply strung against his body with a simple cloth. Even his leg was in the danger of locking into place once more. With each step he took, he carefully lifted its joint socket and gently set it back down, as though his automail was made of very thin and cracked glass. Walking was an absolute pain to him. The thought of even running made him shiver with fear. But, he knew it was his own damn fault.

That was the worst part.

"Would you mind waiting for the Major and sticking a sock in it?!" Edward hissed, seething with impatience and absolute annoyance. It was bad enough he had to travel along with the Major who didn't know the meaning of a shirt or personal space, but with two siblings who couldn't do anything but argue? It was going to be a VERY long trip for the young State Alchemist.

"This won't take much longer," Alric assured "I would have don't it myself if I wasn't out of commission. And besides, Lysandra's the only one out of both of us who can reach the overhang"

"What's are you trying to imply? Huh?" Edward growled, letting his golden eyes practically glare a hole through the Reaping Alchemist. His eyes suddenly widened, realizing his grave error "Save it"

A rather silent smirk crossed Alric's face.

"By the way Edward, where's your brother?" Lysandra asked "Brother told me he can't ride with us up here"

"I'm not quite sure, really," Edward shrugged "All the Major said was that he'd find a place for Al"

"Oh..." Lysandra replied. The golden haired Alchemist couldn't help but hear the slight disappointment laced in her voice. It certainly caught his attention.

"No, Lysandra!" Alric snapped, letting frustration fill his voice once more "Go up! Up!"

"I am!" She growled "It's not my fault your damn instructions are the equivalent of a toddler building a house!"

"My instructions are perfect! Your not listening correctly!"

"My ears have nothing to do with this! You just too much of an unessecary perfectionist!"

"How the hell is that a bad thing?!"

All that the poor, young State Alchemist could do was clasp his hands over his ears and mumble the periodic table over and over again until their rabid screams became somewhat tolerable. Or just pray to God the Major would stroll on in at any minute.

Speaking of his divine savior...

"May I help you with your luggage, Miss Whitewood?" A familiarly deep, yet formal voice sweetly vibrated into Lysandra's ears. Her glazed eyes blinked in surprise as she felt thick, rough hands gently pull the suitcase from her own grip.

"Oh, thank you Major Armstrong" Lysandra said, surprise still lingering within her voice.

"Why, no problem at all!" The Major exclaimed with pride and glory. Without as so much as inclination of his next actions, he plopped right next to the unassuming golden haired Alchemist. Edward nearly cried out in shock as his small frame was shoved right against the wall of the train, as though he was merely a speck on the seat. Yet, his sudden screams for room and air didn't stop the Strong-Arm Alchemist from settling into his seat.

However, his desperate squirms soon faded into memory as a light rap echoed throughout his ears. Curious, he lead to his eyes to the window.

"Hm?" Edward raised his brow

With a smirk and a simple wave, the Lieutenant greeted the young Alchemist "Hey"

"Lieutenant Colonel?" Edward questioned as he slid open the window.

"What are you still doing here?" Alric asked hesitantly. He could already feel the Lieutenant's bubbling eagerness to yank a picture out his pocket and gush over it.

"The folks at the Eastern Command Center were a little too busy to make it down here today, so I came to see you off instead" Hughes explained.

"Great, but would you mind telling me what the Major's doing here?" Edward growled. In an instant, he sent his seething golden eyes right into Armstrong's shiny skull. Not that he would have noticed, of course.

"For protection. What would happen if Scar came after you again? You're in no shape for a fight now, Ed," He pointed out "The Major's here to help"

"Lieutenant Hughes had a point there Edward. We both can't do Alchemy in the current shape that were in" Alric added on.

"Just try to grin and bear it" Hughes assured.

Major Armstrong simply sighed and shook his head in disappointment "Children can be so stubborn"

"Hey, shut up!" The golden haired Alchemist yelled "I'm no child!"

Hughes couldn't help but grin and chuckle at his sudden outburst of emotions. His bubbly eyes and grinning face soon fell as he shifted his attention back to the Whitewood siblings. He could practically see that wrinkled little letter he sent shoved within the black haired teen's coat pocket.

"Hey Alric, did you get my letter?" Hughes questioned, softly, his voice deprived of he joy and personality Edward knew and loved.

Alric furrowed his brows and let his emerald eyes wander to his trench coat pocket. Sure enough, the painfully worded letter peeked right back him "Yeah...I did..."

"It's was...shocking, to say in the least" Lysandra softly said. Although her white, glazed eyes were blank, they were drenched with regret and sadness. Even Edward could see the pain that crawled within her empty orbs.

"It was a shock to all of us back in Central. I'm sorry to hear that he passed away," The Lieutenant said with a weak smile "You two must have been pretty close to him"

"My condolences as well," Major Armstrong nodded in agreement.

"What's this all about?" Edward asked, raising his brow in utter confusion "What happened?"

All Alric could do was sigh, and bring his painfully drenched emerald green eyes up towards the oblivious State Alchemist "Brigadier General Basque Grand, my former superior for about 3, 4 years, was murdered by Scar"

Edward's face dropped in mere seconds. It was like the curiosity he once felt was all washed away in one fell swoop "Oh...uh...sorry"

"It's fine, you were bound to discover anyways" Alric carelessly shrugged.

"He wasn't the most accommodating person in the world, but he was the one who gave brother the recommendation for the State Alchemist Test. Without him, Alric would have never became a State Alchemist" Lysandra explained.

And so a painful, awkward silence filled the air between them. Edward couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for what seemed like salting new, fresh wounds, but he knew well enough he couldn't take it back. The pain and silence already sat between them like the thick blanket of reality. And like a thick blanket on a hot summer's day, it was uncomfortable.

"Anyway," Edward cleared his throat, promptly changing the subject "are you sure Al made it on board?"

"Of course!" Armstrong assured "I thought he might get lonely without a little company"

"What do you..." The young State Alchemist's eyes widened, realizing his brother's ultimate fate. He couldn't help but notice the endless horde of sheep stuffed in the back of the train when he boarded. As well as the Major's inclination to jump in the furthest cart with Alphonse. It didn't take very much to put one and two together

"My brother isn't some kind of farm animal!" Edward yelled with ferocious anger. He slapped and hit the utterly oblivious Major's thick body, trying to quite literally slap some sense in him. Like a little bug however, Major Armstrong barely felt a thing. The golden haired teen's angry slaps stopped however, once he train roared to life.

Hughes glanced up and stepped away "Oh, it's time. Okay, you all have a safe trip. Stop in and give me a shout the next time you make it to Central"

"Sure thing Lieutenant Hughes!" Lysandra called out.

It seemed only minutes later the train pulled out of the station and carried itself across the great country that was Amestris. The tall buildings and stone streets that once crawled across the land soon turned to wavy plains and dirt paths. It seemed like in a blink of an eye, the landscape changed instantly, along with Edward's furious temper. With a Major preoccupied with his thick, engrossing book and the Whitewood siblings chatting up some kind of conversation about who or what scar what, the sole Elric brother let his eyes wander to the window. Slumped up against the frame of the thin glass, he blankly watched the lush landscape whizz right past his equally bored eyes.

He kicked himself for not stuffing a book in his coat. Or in the very least a deck of cards.

Sighing, the young State Alchemist briefly glanced across the cart full of various people until his eyes landed on the oblivious Whitewood siblings. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes once he crossed over Alric's slightly frowned face but highly engaging eyes. That blood seal within his notebook sat fresh within Edward's mind, even with the last few days that were full of pain and death. And he knew that particular blood seal could have only meant one thing.

It was just a matter of proving his real motive for the Philosopher's stone

* * *

"Doctor Marcoh!"

Edward's eyes snapped open as the Major's booming, loud yells fills his ear. With a groan and a yawn from his rather long nap, he took his rather tired golden eyes and let them wander to the outside world. He blinked a few times, letting his eyes focus on a sturdy man who simply stood in the middle of the train station. Although he couldn't make out any of his finer features, it was clear from his slumped back and his tight hands that he was defensive.

"Doctor Marcoh, that is you, isn't it?" Major Armstrong called out "It's me! Alex Louis Armstrong from Central!"

The so called Doctor instantly dug his foot into the stone pavement and ran as fast as his old legs could carry him, until he became nothing more than a speck within Armstrong's gleaming eyes.

Edward glanced up "Friend of yours?"

"He's from Central. A talented State Alchemist. He was researching into possible medical applications of alchemy, but after the Ishvalan Civil War, he went missing. Just disappeared" Major Armstrong explained.

"Medical applications for alchemy? Like alkahestry, right?" Lysandra asked, earning a rather confused stare from the Major.

"Alkahestry? What is this method you speak of?" The Major asked.

"You mean you've never heard of it?"

"No, I've never have heard of such a name"

"That's not much of a suprise," Alric shrugged "It's a method of Alchemy used Far East, for medical purposes"

"Interesting..." The Major trailed off "Tell me more about this Alkahestry"

"Let's go, Major, she can tell you more about it on the way," Edward jumped up from his seat and began his trek out of the train "A guy like this doctor might know some useful things about bio alchemy"

So, with a mission in mind, the four (along with Alphonse dumped in a box at the Major's mercy), began their search across the city for Dr. Marcoh. It was also during that time Lysandra briefly explained all she knew about Alkahestry, which, suffice to say, was not as much as the Major hoped. It was better than nothing, however.

"Excuse me," Armstrong stopped a young man on the street and pulled out a rather detailed and fine sketch of the Doctor "but do you know who this person is by any chance?"

"What does he look like?" Lysandra asked, her arm twisted around her brother's limp arm.

"Er..." Alric quickly jumped in front of the detailed sketch as a brief reference "Wrinkles around eyes and upper mouth. Narrow eyes. Thick nose. Black short cut hair with white sides"

"Wow, Major. You can really draw" Edward complimented in surprise

"The art of portraiture has been passed down through the Armstrong family for generations" Armstrong proudly proclaimed, sparkling with pride.

"That man looks like Dr. Mauro to me" the man commented .

Armstrong raised the bridge of his brow "Mauro?"

"All of our town's doctors were drafted to help on the battlefields during the civil war," The man explained "Then Dr. Mauro came here. He's really been a lifesaver"

"He'll see any patient and he never gives up on anybody. We're lucky he's here" Another man commented.

"You'll see this big, bright flash of light and then you're cured just like that!" A woman replied.

"That sounds like Alchemy if I've ever heard it" Alric quietly commented

"Hm..." The Major mumbled in agreement.

It didn't take much longer to find to 'Mauro's' small estate. Considering it clung onto the aid of the mountain and stood much taller than most of the houses that surrounded it, it wasn't much of a mouse hunt at all. So, with his house in sight, the curious team began their trek up his steep stairs until they reached the top.

"This is it," Edward glanced up the tall, thick door. He gave a few raps on the door, only to hear silence seconds later. With a shrug, he latched onto the door knob and softly creaked it only leaving a sliver for his golden eye to peek through "Um, hello"

Then his eye set on the barrel of a gun.

Edward squealed for dear life as he stumbled frantically back, causing the gun to shoot off a deadly round. Although the bullet failed to hit anything, it zoomed only inches from the golden haired Alchemist's skull. With his heart beating out of his chest, his wide, utterly shocked eyes snapped back to the doorway. There, that same man stood, with shaky, tight hands around htat deadly pistol of his.

"Alright, tell me what you doing here," The Doctor demanded in a terrified tone "Have you come to take me back?"

"Please, Doctor. Calm down" Major Armstrong calmly replied.

Sir, please-" Alric was about to demand, only to be cut off by the frantic doctor.

"I don't ever want to go back!" Dr. Marcoh pleaded, letting his fingers curl around the trigger "Anything but that!"

"That's not it. Please, listen"

"So you're here to silence me, then!"

"No, nothing like that!"

"I won't be tricked by you!"

Armstrong sighed, as though he completely gave up on the frantic and utterly insane Doctor. Without another plan, he heaved the helpless Alphonse into the air, he proceeded to chuck him and his box right at the doctor. All the broken suit of armor could do was yell as he was thrown right at the doctor, nearly crushing his bones with his mere weight.

"I'll ask you one more time, please calm down!" Armstrong demanded.

"ALPHONSE!" Edward cried.

To the surprise of the State Alchemist, Dr. Marcoh let his rather thin and weak facade fall right to the ground, right where his body was crushed up against. It didn't take long after the Major peeled Alphonse from the doctor that he spilled everything that he knew and everything that he did.

"So, you changed your name and decided to live in hiding way out here in the countryside," Armstrong repeated "If the rumors I've heard can be believed, when you disappeared, you took top secret materials with you"

Marcoh's thick, rough hands tightened further into a ball of anxiety once those words left the Major's mouth "I couldn't handle it anymore. Order or no order, to have to dirty my hands researching that thing was too much"

"What 'thing' is that?" Edward curiously asked, his golden eyes growing with anticipation.

"It took so many lives..." The Doctor trailed off. His eyes tensed as the memories flashed right into his torchered mind "During the Civil War, so many innocent died because of it. I could spend my whole life trying and still never atone for the things I've done. But I had to do something, so I came here to be a doctor, to save lives instead of taking them"

"We understand, but what could you have researched that made you leave the military?" Alric asked, furrowing his brows.

The doctor slowly lifted his head from his shame and anguish, only to let it dig into the wrinkles of his face. A face that knew too much.

"The Philosopher's Stone"

Edward's golden eyes lit up in a mere instant, as though he was only a child who had a delectable candy bar shoved right into his hands. He could barely contain his excitement in that little body of his, no matter how much he tried to shove those feelings back in. Even Alric was visibly taken aback. So much even, his mouth hung open in shock.

"Then what were the top secret materials you took?" Alric eagerly pressed "Were they...?"

"The top secret materials I took were my research documents, and the stone itself" Marcoh reluctantly explained.

Edward suddenly leapt from his chair, and immediately slammed his hands down into the table "Do you mean you still have it? It's here?!"

The Doctor sighed in defeat and began to dig through his coat. Moments later, he pulled a rather small, glass bile, filled with a crimson red liquid. It seemed to glimmer and crawl around its little container as though it was thick, cold blood, yet was far too bright to be that sort of liquid. He popped off the cork, and let the so-called stone spill onto the table, causing it to collect like a big, fat raindrop.

"How can that be the stone? It's a liquid!" Edward cried in shock. He curiously leaned into the shiny, crimson liquid, and gently pressed his finger into it. It simply collected around his white glove, until he yanked his finger back, and returned to its original state.

"What do you mean? What does it look like?" Lysandra asked.

"Bright red, about the size of the print of your thumb. It's texture is smooth, and appears to be hard, but..." Alric paused, thinking of the words "It's like blood that has been sitting for days"

"The Sage's Stone. The Grand Elixir. The Celestial Stone. The Red Tincture. The Fifth Element. Just as the Philosopher's Stone is called by many names, so it can take on many forms. It is not necessarily a stone," Doctor Marcoh explained "This is an incomplete product, however. There's no way to know when it'' reach its limit and become unusable"

"Finished or not, it demonstrated plenty of power during the Ishvalan Civil War, right?" Edward asked,

Marcoh blinked in confusion "Huh?"

"It's just like the stone that false prophet had in Liore. It was incomplete, but it still amplified his powers considerably. If imitation stones this powerful can be produced, who's to say a complete product can't be created?" With an eager smile, he glanced up from the liquid stone "Please, Dr. Marcoh. I need access to your research materials"

Marcoh could only look at Armstrong in complete and utter shock "Major, who exactly is this boy?"

"This boy is a State Alchemist, doctor" The Major replied.

"What?! But he's only a child!" Dr. Marcoh exclaimed. He hopeless stared into the young State Alchemist, like the mere little kid he was. A title couldn't bring hope or justification in his eyes. All he saw was a kid that was being lead into his grave. "Don't tell me your..."

Alric nodded "I'm a State Alchemist as well"

The Doctor immediately clutched onto his skull and squeezed his eyes shut, as thigh that would be enough to block out the memories "After the war, there were many State Alchemists who turned in their certifications because they refused to serve as human weapons any more. And now children!"

"You think I don't know what I've signed up for?!" Edward slammed his small, yet fierce hands into the table once more "I know what I'm doing, but I don't have any choice. If this is a mistake, then it's a mistake I have to make. There is no other way"

"I made this choice on my own accord, Doctor," Alric narrowed his stern, emerald green eyes "I'm going down this path whether I like it or not. I broke myself to get where I am today, and I'll break myself again to get what I need. If I need to be a human weapon, then so be it"

All Dr. Marcoh could do was sit there, stunned by the children's-no- State Alchemists stern, fighting words. His surprise only grew once Edward began to tell his tale about his human transmutation attempt. When he began to reach the end of his story, Alric couldn't help but feel a certain lingering feeling of persistence simmer in his stomach. He felt inclined to speak of his own attempt yet...he couldn't. It was like the words were right on the tip of his tongue, but failed to leap off to form an actual story. So, he simply told the same lie he told nearly everyone around him. Although the lie brought shame to his mind, it was a shame he could swallow.

Because it still wasn't time yet.

Marcoh nodded softly as the last words left Edward's mouth "I see...so you've committed the taboo. Amazing...the ability to transmute a specific person's soul like this. Maybe one as talented as you would be able to produce a complete Philosopher's Stone"

Edward widened his curious, golden eyes in anticipation "So...!"

"But I can't show you my research" Dr. Marcoh declined.

"Why not?!" Edward demanded.

"If your worried about the military discovering your-" Alric was about to assure.

"You must not seek after the stone" Marcoh sternly tore through his words as though they were paper

"Not even if it's to get our bodies back?" The golden haired alchemist pressed.

"Never! This is the devil's research! If you chase the stone, you will go through hell!" The stern Doctor warned with every fiber of his being.

"I've already been through hell!" Edward cut his metal hand through the air, his swing as sharp as his golden, glaring eyes. It was perhaps in that moment the weak Doctor saw a State Alchemist in him rather than a kid. Or perhaps he saw dead man rather than a naive child.

Dr. Marcoh buried his hands into his defeated face and sighed weakly "Please...Please, just leave"

Edward was about to open his mouth again, but promptly shut it as he felt a thick, heavy hand brush against his shoulder. He snapped his head around, revealing the reluctant Major. Armstrong simply shook his head, before he plucked Alphonse off the ground and began his trek out of the stern Doctor's home. Edward gave once last glaring glance towards Dr. Marcoh, who still simmered in anguish and regret. Even the Fullmetal Alchemist knew at this point there was nothing he could do.

Alric thought much differently.

So, when the four walked down the good Doctor's stairs, Alric elected himself to stay behind with his sister, to pick up some supplies he forgot to pack. At last that was the first thing that popped into his mind. Although Major Armstrong seemed reluctant and had suspicion within his narrow, kind eyes, he caved in and headed to the train station along with the little Alchemist and his broken brother in a box.

He didn't see any signs of Scar, anyhow.

Alone and relatively safe, the Whitewood siblings scurried quietly to the bottom of Dr. Marcoh's small estate and discussed their next plan of action.

"So...he has a Philosopher's stone in his possession..." Alric trailed off in thought. Shock still filled his body, even if the stone itself was just an image in his mind. He didn't think anyone had it, let alone a small doctor lost within the sea of towns and people. He could practically feel his fleshy, warm limbs on his body once more. He could practically see his sister's, brilliant green eyes shine again. He could practically see his future.

He knew the Philosopher's Stone existed. It was just a matter of obtaining it.

"Remember what he said brother? It wasn't a complete stone" Lysandra pointed out.

"I know. But from what Edward said, an incomplete stone is powerful enough to work wonders. Who's to say it won't get what he lost back? I think we're smart enough to make a complete stone" Alric shrugged.

"Now that's just cocky" Lysandra crossed her arms in disappointing "And besides, we barely know what things the stone can do, or even now to use it. All we know is the ingredient to make one. That's it"

"That's all we need, sister," Alric said eagerly "You're right, that was last comment of mine was cocky, but we just need a stone, complete or not. And we also know the Doctor has one and information to complete it"

"What are you trying to say?"

"I say we steal the stone from him"

Lysandra's eyes snapped open in shock "R-right now?"

"When else? This is our only chance! We take the stone and his research and disappear!" The excited teen said with a smile "Think about it, we can end our journey right now. You'll gain your sight again, and I'll get back my limbs. We'll be...whole again"

Lysandra couldn't help but let her face fall once those eagar words left his mouth. She heard the excitement that filled his tone. It was like he already had the crimson red stone tightly within his hand. It was much to clear to the blind black haired teen. He was getting to far ahead of himself.

The teen sighed in disappointment and shook her head "It's far too risky right now. You don't have any hands and I don't exactly have the ability to sniff the stone out. What is the Doctor catches us? What if he tells Edward and Alphonse? What if-"

"Blackmail is always an option..." Alric trailed off in thought, letting his emerald green eyes wander into the bright blue sky "It sounds like Marcoh is willing to do anything to hide from the military. He has an image to present and we need a stone and information. This is a vague idea, but we blackmail him, get the stone, play under the military for a little longer to draw away suspicion, and get suspended, and leave. It'll look as though I became too furious with Colonel Mustang or the military in general, I left. It'll be then we can use the stone to get what we lost"

Lysandra sighed "What about Edward and Alphonse?"

Alric raised his brow "What about them?"

"They need that stone as much as we do. Edward did help me escape from Barry the Chopper, and Alphonse seemed to care equally about my well being. Their good people. They deserve the powers of the stone"

"Wanting it and deserving it are two different things Lysandra," The black haired teen replied in a softened voice "Deserving something doesn't get you anything, that involves waiting around doing nothing. Wanting it however, that involves action. They don't desire the stone as much as we do, as a result they won't obtain it. It's like they have the golden carrot dangled in front of their faces, but their too afraid to break the string that attaches it to the stick. We're willing to break that stick in two and yank the string off our golden carrot. I understand they have good intentions but...where does that get you?"

Lysandra furrowed her brows nervously, nodding as she always did with her brother. Those words stuck on her as though they were glued directly into her brain and seeped trough its soft cracks and crevasse. Yet...she couldn't just throw away the kindness the Elric brothers showed her. It was something she longed for from others.

It was the only thing she could see.

Their eyes snapped open as they heard the sound of soft steps click and scarp against the stone stairs. Alric glanced up the large, tall staircase, only to reveal the mysterious Doctor clinging onto the iron railing as he scurried down. When Dr. Marcoh's eyes laid upon the Whitewood siblings however, his face turned to shock.

Marcoh slowly climbed up the stairs, letting his tough hands dig into the railing "What are you two doing back here? Please, don't tell me you're going to be the one to-"

"Dr. Marcoh," Alric's sharp voice cut through the Doctor's uncertainty like a hot knife to butter "I have a few things I wanted to ask you regarding the stone. We won't take much of your time"

The Doctor's frantically beating heart settled slightly, causing him to sigh "I don't want to discuss that horrid stone I helped create. Once you discover what truly gives the Philosopher's stone power, you'll go through a hell that breaks a man at their very core"

Alric simply narrowed his eyes, letting them slice right into Marcoh's fragile exterior "We know what ingredient makes the Philosopher's stone"

The Doctor snapped his eyes open in shock "You know? But, how?!"

"Lysandra, dig through my left pocket, near my waist" The unusually blank teen commanded. With a soft nod, the sightless teen began to search for his mysterious pocket.

"I found a note tucked in a book at the one of the branches of the central library. The first branch, if I remember correctly," Alric explained "I believe it was a novel on the topic of transmutation circles. The note was blunt and crystal clear about the Philosopher's stone, about its use of human sacrifices. It was that note actually that piped my interest about the stone"

Lysandra's glazed eyes flickered as she finally pulled out a thin, crispy sheet of paper from his pocket. Although it was slightly wrinkle and began to yellow at its edges, it's rather elegant and tight writing was still as clear as day. Curious, the Doctor gently lifted the small sheet of paper from her hands and dug into its contents. It seemed his eyes grew wider with fear the more he stared into its evil words.

"Kimblee..." Dr. Marcoh muttered under his breath, letting the note crumble under his tight grip. With a deep sigh, he stuffed the note back into Lysandra's hands.

"We don't know how you made the stone or even whose souls you used to make it, but we need it" Alric bluntly replied.

"What about-"

"Those souls are without a body. Their as good as dead at this point. At least I'll give them some sort of purpose," he harshly cut through "I've been through hell and I'm more than willing to go through it again. We both are. I'm not asking you to make another stone. I'm asking you for research documents and the incomplete stone you currently have"

All Dr. Marcoh could do was stare at the persistent black haired boy in shock. It was a much different which that he felt from the golden haired teen. That little State Alchemist had determination swimming within his veins. The teen who stood before him however...felt more threatening. It was a dangerous sort of determination.

The deadly kind.

He sighed, causing his heart to settle back " I understand now. However, there is still much to uncover about the Philosopher's stone. If your still adamant about using it, then please, wait. I..." He carefully glanced around his surroundings, as though he felt creeping eyes crawl up his back. Comfortable, he leaned into Alric's ear "I have a message to send to you and those boys. It would be best for all of you to hear it all at once. Where are they currently?"

"The train station," Alric quietly replied "we shouldn't be leaving for a while now"

"There's still no time to waste we must hurry!" Dr. Marcoh exclaimed. Without as so much as a warning, his old, yet sturdy legs took off into the streets.

Alric's eyes widened in surprise "Wait! Dr. Marcoh! I can't...I can't run!"

Even with his pleads, it seemed the famed doctor had other important things brewing within his mind. As though Alric's voice was nothing more than a bug, Marcoh continued on his route. With a groan of annoyance, he took off and dig his foot into the dirt. On mere impact, his already fragile leg groaned and cracked with fury, causing it to slam its pieces together. And so, with his leg broken and stuck again, the rather ignorant black haired teen slammed straight into the ground.

"Goddammit..." Alric mumbled under his breath.

All Lysandra could do was sigh and bury her hands into her face in utter disappointment "You're a real idiot, you know that?"

"Yes sister...now please help me..."

After Lysandra peeled him off the ground and helped him across the small village, they finally reached the train station. Although they never actually caught up to Dr. Marcoh, when they finally reached the station's smooth pavement, they saw him patiently waiting, along with the Major and the Elric brothers.

The Major rose from his seat in curiosity, as he saw Lysandra desperately holding up her very broken brother "What happened?"

"My stupid brother thought it was a good idea to run," Lysandra softly growled "His leg is stuck again"

"When we get on the train, could you help me adjust it?" Alric asked.

"Why, but of course! The Armstrong touch shall surely help you and your needs!" Major Armstrong exclaimed, quite literally sparking with pride.

With a sigh, Dr. Marcoh finally pulled out a folded slip of paper from his coat and handed it to Edward "This is where my materials are. If you're certain you won't regret learning the truth in the end, start looking here. Look closely. Maybe you'll find the truth hidden within the truth. But...I've said too much already. I hope the day will come when you are able to restore your bodies"

With his last words, Dr. Marcoh finally took off back into the safety of the little village. Edward let his curious golden eyes stare at its utterly blank surface, as though his mere sight would unfold it and reveal its contents. Speaking of its contents...

Edward raised his head "What did you say to convince Dr. Marcoh?"

Alric shrugged "I don't know"

"Brother, what does the note say?" Alphonse quietly asked.

Edward slowly unfolded the note and revealed a its contents "National Central Library, First Branch"

"I get it..." Armstrong loudly trailed off "like hiding a tree in the forest. Finding one book in that giant library will be difficult indeed"

Edward was practically brimming with excitement. He felt like he could hardly contain his feelings within his body. He felt like he was finally making some type of progress, the most progress he ever had since he lost his arm and leg, and of course his brothers body.

"Finally, another clue about the stone!"

* * *

 **Thank you Guest and Pants for your reviews!**

 **Guest: I'm glad you like Lysandra and Alric so far! I hope you'll enjoy Resembool when it comes around (which, is basically the next chapter)**

 **Pants: Wow, I'm thrilled you see Lysandra as a badass. Thanks!**

 **I hope you all had an enjoyable Christmas or overall great holiday (because I sure did). Now that finals are over for me, I should be back on** **regular updates! This specific episode was supposed to be written as one chapter, but then the word count sort of pilled onto itself, and I saw that the information within this episode needed its own chapter (because it's pretty important), so I decided to split it into two instead. And regarding the 'Kimblee' part in here, I sort of had my own personal headcanon that Kimblee and a couple of other scientists who worked on the Philosopher's Stone exchanged information through books and such, by hiding notes in paticular books in libraries across Central (at least before he was sent to jail). It seemed right, so I decided to add it.**

 **Anyways, this is the last post for the year! I hope you enjoyed! Have a wonderful New Year! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	9. A Vacant Life

_|Chapter 9: A Vacant Life|_

* * *

"So, this is Resembool, hm?"

Alric raised his utterly curious brow as he carefully scanned the lush landscape that surrounded the dirt road he trailed across. Although his leg was still stiff and creaky from Major Armstrong's work upon it, it still lead him across the road to the said automail mechanic's home. He assumed, in the very least.

He let a smirk of amazement fill his face. The grass seemed much greener than anything he had laid his eyes on before. The plains seemed to stretch far and wide with houses littered upon the land like crumbs rather actual buildings. Even the few cows that sat safely behind a wired fence sent more lively than any other cows that passed by his eyes before.

He knew Lysandra would agree.

"What? You've never been in the rural areas of Amestris or something?" Edward replied, letting boredom drip from his voice.

"Not this far east. When I was growing up, we lived in the east, but near the border of central," Alric explained "but, yeah, we haven't really spent much time out here"

Edward shrugged.

After what seemed like hours of walking and wandering off, the four finally peaked over the small hill at the end of the dirt path. The black haired teen's wavering eyes trailed across the landscape and across the dirt path until they landed on a small, open house at the end. It was a rather large house, with a spanning patio and a small sign simply tossed upon a rock that sat next to it. It wasn't anything spectacular in Alric's mind, but it didn't need to be.

It looked...comfortable.

He blinked in surprise as a small, grey haired woman cracked the door open and slowly shuffled to the edge of her porch. She drew away the long, thin pipe from her wrinkled mouth and let a cloud of smoke billow from her lips, letting its warmth caress the air. However, even the smoke didn't dare to fog up her glasses, as though it was too frightened of her. For a small woman, she looked rather sturdy. In a good way.

"Yo, Granny!" Edward yelled, waving his fleshy hand into the air

Pinako sighed "Oh dear, what have you done now?"

"A lot has happened. Can you fix us up? I brought you a new customer too" The golden haired alchemist replied. Pinako 's small, beady eyes immediately drew to the black haired teen, revealing his rather limp, strung up arm and his lifeless sleeve. She could already feel her back aching at the mere amount of labor she and her granddaughter would have to put in for Edward and her so called 'new customer'. She seemed to sigh as Major Armstrong finally heaved Alphonse straight to the ground, inches from the little old lady's toes.

"This is Major Alex Louis Armstrong," Edward introduced "And this over here is Alric Whitewood and his sister Lysandra"

"I'm Pinako Rockbell," Pinako introduced as she shook the Major's meaty hand "I know I haven't seen you for a while Ed, but you've gone and grown smaller!"

"Granny..." Edward growled, letting himself tower over the small woman "you've got it wrong. You're supposed to say 'how big you've grown lately, Ed'..."

"But why would I say something so clearly untrue?"

"I'm still taller than you, you mini hag!" Edward yelled back with all his might. His face grew incredibly red, ripe for more yelling and screaming. At least until a wrench collided with his face.

Alric quickly shoved his sister back with his body as the wrench sliced last her blank, oblivious face. A loud shrill ring escaped Edward's skull as the wrench violently dug itself into his skull and bounce off like a ball. A spurt of blood went through the air as the poor, young Alchemist slammed into the ground, landing straight into his tiny uiddle of his internal fluids.

"What happened?" Lysandra quickly asked, furrowing her brows in worry.

"Agggghhh..." Edward groaned in response , twisted about on the ground as his head pounded with pain.

Alric immediately snapped his eyes up, following the trial of the deadly, heavy wrench. There, he saw a relatively young girl with flowing, blond hair and a snarl upon her face. Even her dark blue eyes seemed like they were ready to shoot another tool right into the golden haired Alchemist's skull. It certainly caused a tear of sweat to run down his face.

"Edward, I thought I told you to call first when you're heading back here for maintenance!" Winry screamed from the 2nd floor.

Edward snapped up to his feet angrily, causing blood to safely drip off his face "Winry! Are you trying to kill me?!"

Suddenly a small, warm smile crossed the young mechanics face, a smile caused the young State Alchemist to softly frown. It further softened as she released a booming, warm laugh "Welcome back!"

"Yeah..." Edward replied suspiciously, letting his voice trail off. It seemed all of his anger and frustration disappeared as soon as Winry's laugh filled his ears.

However, her charming aura soon disappeared once she had her hands on the golden haired Alchemist's automail arm. Or, what was left if it.

"Oh no!" We're the only words the mechanic could muster up from her throat. Her eyes widened in complete and utter horror as the pieces of his automail literally fell through her fingers. What was supposed to be her blood and joy was simply a pile of metal shards and wires, tangled about in a lazy pile. Not even what she thought to be the fingers resembled working parts, but rather just angrily twisted pieces of her hard work.

Edward obliviously slipped into his mug, as though not a thing was wrong "Yeah, sorry. It's a little smashed up"

Winry clamped into a handful of the shards of automail and practically stuffed it into his annoyingly calm face "'A little smashed up?' 'A little?' Do you see what you've done to my beautiful creation?! I slaved over this!'

"It's basically the same, it's just in smaller pieces" Edward carelessly shrugged. He soon regretted these words as a flying wrench sent him right to the floor once more. Alphonse practically squealed in terror as Winry ever so carefully crept towards his utterly broken body

"Don't tell me. You a little smashed up too, Al?" Winry groaned in a deadly tone. With only a whimper as her sole answer, she growled and sent her wrench straight into his helmet. Although he couldn't feel a thing, once that wrench rammed into his head, he became as dazed and dizzy as ever. Alric could only watch anxiously with the entire situation. If their mechanic treated them like punching bags all because of decimated automail, he could only imagine how she would react once her prying eyes laid on him.

He hoped he had a few bandages in his suitcase. Or a medical team.

"What kind of trouble have you two been getting yourselves into? You idiots! All you ever do is worry me!" Winry yelled at the two twitching Elric's. With a sigh, she snapped her body towards the defensive Alric, who couldn't even hold up his hands cautiously "Now, please don't tell me your as smashed up as they are..."

"Er..." Alric nervously coughed "Perhaps..."

With a groan, Winry set down her wrench upon the counter and crossed her arms impatiently "Well, come on, show me what the damage is"

"That's a bit of a problem, I'm afraid" the black haired teen anxiously replied.

"And why is that?"

"I...can't move my arms"

"...huh?"

It didn't take long for the young, blond mechanic to essentially strip the lack haired teen to nothing but his black pair of pants and a wrinkled white shirt, revealing all of his automail glory. It was obvious that surprise filled Winry's face as she rolled up one sleeve and one path leg after another, letting his artificial, metal limbs peak through. And his mangled stump of an arm, of course.

Winry slowly rose up, letting utter shock fill her face "All your legs and arms...are automail?"

Alric weakly smiled, even if was deprived of any joy "Yeah. I'm in pretty rough shape right now. Do you think you could fix me?"

Winry crept closer to the unusually anxious teen, and lifted his lightly rusted, limp arm. She let the dull metal rightly shine against the light, inspecting every inch of its foreign parts and pieces "If you don't mind me asking, how did you end up like this?"

"I don't mind at all. Train accident. Killed my parents and left me a limpless stump"

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Winry replied, her voice softening to a whisper. She couldn't help but feel a bit of tinge pity sting her heart for the black haired teen. It was only natural for her.

It was a different story for Edward.

The golden haired State Alchemist couldn't help but suspiciously glare at the oblivious black haired teen. It seemed like his words were lifeless, as though they were simply put onto a tape and blurted out to the world. Here was no emotion behind them, no pain. It simply seemed like he was shrugging his life changing accident off.

In fact, it seemed as though he was gloating.

"It's fine, it happened a long time ago, anyways," Alric shrugged, letting the mechanic yank at his arm "We're over it, anyhow"

"He's right" Lysandra nodded, agreeing with his reliable white lie.

"I have a question for you..." Winry suddenly lowered her voice, causing a thick shadow to swallow up her delicate, dark blue eyes.

"Yes?" Alric widened his eyes curiously. At least until a wrench came down upon his skull.

The utterly helpless teen could do little to nothing as the mechanics wrench came crashing down upon his head. Even as his headed pounded with pain and dazed confusion, he was in capable to rubbing his head to comfort his swelling head.

"What the hell was that for?!" Alric exclaimed. His angry soon turned to anxiousness once more as the furious mechanic stuck her evil wrench in front of his face.

"Your automail is a complete mess!" Winry yelled passionately "What have you been doing?! Standing in the rain?! All of your automail is almost completely rusted and in shambles! You're lucky that it hasn't fallen completely apart! It should have weeks ago!"

"Yes...well-"

"Automail is not something you can put on and forget about! It's apart of you like any other part of your body! Do you break a rib or get a deep gash and hope your body is magically going to fix it?! No! You get it taken care of and looked over! Maintenance is an essential part of having automail, like maintenance of yourself! Understand?"

Alric was completely floored. He expected perhaps a few more raps to the head or even is arm being complete ripped off, but a lecture? That hit him faster and harder than that wrench was capable of. In an instant, he clenched his teen and hung his head low in shame.

He sighed in defeat "I do..."

Winry crossed her arms proudly "Hm"

After the blond mechanic finally calmed herself, it didn't take much longer for the Elric brothers as well as the Whitewood siblings to explain their entire situation regarding the mysterious note they gained from the equally mysterious doctor. So, caught up on what they four decided to reveal, Pinako nodded willingly.

"All right, I see," The little old lady replied as she inspected Edward's automail leg "In order to get this information you need, you want to go to Central as soon as possible, am I right?"

"Yeah. This is kind of a rush order" Edward said anxiously.

"Hmm..." Pinako narrowed her beady eyes as she shoved his feet together "it's not just the arm. Your leg needs adjusting too"

"Guess your growth's not completely stunted after all" Winry smirked.

Edward immediately swung his fist angrily through the air "Oh, shut up!"

"The leg aside, the shape the arm's in, we'll have to build it from scratch" Pinako explained, then faced Alric "As for you, we're going to have to scrape off all of that rust you have, rewire your arm, build another arm, and build a few parts for your leg"

"I'll take care of the rust another time. We need to get to Central soon, so..." He paused in thought "Let's do the rewiring, arm, and parts"

"Are you certain?" Pinako raised her brow "Think carefully now"

Alric nodded "I'm sure. I'll find someone in Central or East City take care of that"

"Alright then"

"Sure brother..." Lysandra added in with utter doubt.

"I promise I'll take better care of my automail" he assured.

"Right..."

"I promise!"

"Is there any chance you can have it done in a week?" Edward asked, coaxing his brows.

"Give us some credit, Ed," Pinako raised her long, thin pipe from her lips, causing a cloud of white, thick smoke to erupt from her mouth "Three Days. But you'll have to make do with this spare for now"

It seemed within seconds Edward's leg popped out, letting the stiff spare take its place. Edward stumbled up to his feet, as though he was a tiny toddler taking his first steps.

"It's a little difficult to walk on a leg I'm not used to" he said, stumbling forward.

"We'll be finished before you get used to it," Pinako assured "I'm sure we have a spare about your size collecting dust somewhere, Alric"

"Thank you" Alric nodded.

"Three days, huh? Between machining, assembly, connecting, and finishing..." Whiny trailed off, letting the numbers fill her mind "That's three all nighters"

"I'm sorry for all the trouble" Edward coated his brows in guilt. Instead of the groan he expected, he earned a warm, friendly smile in return

"Well, you want to get to Central as soon as possible, right?" Winry raised her brow playfully "Then I'll work my butt of for you. But you better believe you're going to pay a fortune in rush order fees!"

"...How much is this going to cost me, exactly?"

* * *

Alric never found out how much his maintenance and his new arm cost.

It seemed right as those particular words slipped out of his anxious mouth, Edward cut down his question and began to ramble on how ridiculously high the blond mechanic's rush order fees really were. After a few more words in between the two utterly angry teens, Alric simply gave up and decided to wait until he actually gained his arms and leg back. Although the dusty spare Pinako eventually found have him a bit of trouble at first, he eventually stumbled into it. He didn't mind too much however, he decided stumbling to his destinations was better than not walking at all. The lack of arms however, were still a bit of a problem.

So, with the day still fresh and new, Alric let his little sister give the finishing inches onto his suit and trenchcoat, ready to head out with the golden haired Alchemist across Resembool. Lysandra carefully weaved her tough and able hands through his thick, long hair, letting a thin ribbon sit between her fingers. Satisfied, she yanked his hair back and quickly let her all seeing fingers tie his hair back into his signature ponytail.

The armless black haired teen hissed as he felt his hair practically ripped from his skull "That's tight..."

"Maybe if you had your arms I wouldn't have to do this" Lysandra snapped back, letting her harsh yank become a light tug.

"How long are you going to milk that?" Alric groaned in disappointment.

"Until you get your arms back"

"Ah, of course..."

"Are you ready to go yet or what?" Edward called out from the road. Alric snapped his curious emerald green eyes up, letting them cross over the obviously impatient golden haired alchemist and that little black dog of his with an automail leg. Den, he remembered.

Alric suddenly grabbed onto his annoyed sister's hand and drew it away safely from his hair "Give me a minute"

"Fine..." Edward impatiently groaned.

"Why does Edward want you again?" Lysandra softly asked.

Alric shrugged "He wanted to show me something, I suppose. Perhaps ask me something. I really don't know. He was adamant about it though. "

"You don't think he's..." Lysandra trailed off in shock, letting her blank, white eyes widen. There was only thing that crossed her mind. She knew it crossed her brother's mind as well.

Alric furrowed his brows "No, I don't think he's going to ask if we did human transmutation. Unless he looked through my notebook, I doubt he'll raise those type of questions. I guard that notebook with my life, so I wouldn't worry too much"

"Oh, right, you have your blood seal in there," Lysandra realized once more "Well, if your so certain, be careful"

With a small, warm smile, Alric nodded "Yeah, I will"

With a simple and forceful nod of his head, he trailed long with Edward and began to head down the dirt path. Alric disappeared for Lysandra once how warm, comforting body left her inch, letting only the cold air caress her skin. It seemed like her brother headed in a unknown land rather than the simple rural area that was Resembool. She could only imagine where her brother's final destination. She could only imagine where she was.

Sound couldn't tell her everything

"Have a safe trip brother!" Alphonse called out from his giant pile of armor laid upon the lush grass. With a lazy smirk upon his face, Edward simply raised his arm into the air as he began his trek.

"We'll be back before sunset Al" The golden haired alchemist replied. With his final words, the two State Alchemist finally heade to their new destination, leaving their little siblings to their own devices. Lysandra stood firmly place for what seemed like hours, as though she didn't have any idea what to do with her body. At least until the broken suit of armor finally chimed in.

"Do you know why Ed asked Alric to go to the cemetery?" Alphone's asked from his little corner of the world

"Not even brother has a clue. Does Edward normally go alone?" Lysandra replied.

"Most of the time," The suit of armor managed to nod "We rarely visit together"

"Who do you...visit?"

"Our mother"

"Oh..."

A blanket of silence suddenly fell between the black haired girl and the boy trapped within a suit of armor, a sort of silence that both of them failed to peel off and throw aside. Although they had being a younger sibling in common, it felt like that was virtually the only thing they had.

"So, uh..." Alphonse trailed off, attempting to think of some sort of conversation.

"Yeah..." Lysandra muttered as she curled her hands behind her back "Miss Pinako and Winry seem like pretty good people. Even Alric thinks he's leaving his automail in good hands, which is sort of rare for him to say"

"Is that why he didn't have it repaired much sooner?"

"No," she chuckled with a hidden grin "He's just a bit stubborn on going out to Rush Valley, that's all. It's quite a distance from Central, and even further from East City, so I guess he has another excuse on his belt. Is Edward stubborn about his automail, Alphonse?"

"You don't have to call be so formal. Al is fine. Brother doesn't mind being called Ed either" Alphonse said, raising his helmet to the black haired teen who stood listlessly in the road. Her blank eyes stared into what seemed like across the road, even if it was purely nothingness. However, her white eyes snapped open as those words left his hollow body.

"It's not really formal, but ok," Lysandra shrugged "Al and Ed it is then"

"As for his automail," Alphonse began once more "I wouldn't say he's stubborn about it. He gets careless with his automail at times, but he's willing to get it looked at when he needs to"

"I guessing this isn't the first time he's destroyed his arm?"

"No..." Alphonse sighed "And I know it won't be the last either"

She couldn't help but chuckle lightly at his comment, knowing it would be the same for her own brother. Alric treated his automail like an old pair of shoes: he wore and used them to death until they finally fell apart into nothingness. Although his arm quite literally fell apart into pieces, she was sure if he could transmute it safe and soundly back, he would. It was one of the things that made her groan internally with annoyance, an annoyance she wasn't about to proclaim out to the world.

Without as so much as another word, she jerked her hands into the air and began to wander aimlessly around her foreign surroundings. Although everything was utterly black within her eyes, the unknown crept around her body. The dirt road and wispy wind told her enough.

But, it didn't tell her where the house was.

"I should have brought my whistle..." Lysandra grumbled, stumbling into the lush grass "Or at least a stick..."

"I'm over here!" Alphonse called out, lifting his arm slightly into the air. Although his soft voice reached her ears, it certainly didn't stop her from wandering aimlessly like a lost child searching for their parents.

"Er..." Lysandra anxiously trailed off "where is 'over there'?"

Alphonse stern, empty red orbs that glowed from his helmet seemed to flicker with emotion in complete realization "Oh, right. It's, uh...turn left...now a little to the right, step...um..."

After what seemed like endless directions, groans, and trips, Lysandra finally found her way across the field and right next to Alphonse's giant, broken body. Satisfied with the general area, she let her fingers glide over the damp grass until they reached the sandy, rough surface of the barrel that kept the giant suit of armor upright. With a sigh, she popped onto the ground, and sunk into the barrel. As much as she could into a completely solid object, of course.

"Finally..." She groaned, flopping her head against the barrel "For a second there I thought you lead me across a fence or something..."

"I tried my best..." Alphonse squeaked, letting disappointment reek within is hollow voice "I've never announced directions like that before..."

"Ah, it's alright. I can't really blame you," Lysandra shrugged "It took my brother a while to get used to that too"

"What do you mean?"

Lysandra's with eyes flickered open, realizing her mistake. It was like she tore apart her lie about being blind for what was supposed to be her entire life. In anxiety, she buried her flushed face do within her knew, as though she was attempting to hide her utterly obvious expression "I mean, after my parents died. In that accident. With my brother"

"Oh, of course" Alphonse nodded. Although a tinge of doubt simmered within his voice, it wasn't enough to make Lysandra suspicious. Instead, she released a deep sigh of relief.

"It's strange, isn't it?" Alphonse began. He lifted his helmet towards the glimmering sky, and watched the white, fluffy clouds steak the sky like paint. It was almost mesmerizing to him. Almost captivating.

The black haired girl lifted her head from her knees "What is?"

"How our lives can change in an instant"

"I suppose..." Lysandra trailed off "Life hasn't been kind to us, has it?"

"Yeah...but I don't like to think about it that way," Alphonse shook his head "I may be bound to this armor, but I'm grateful brother brought me back at all. I could never imagine if he had to go through all of this alone. We made our mistakes, but I believe we can fix them. Then maybe...we can go back to how it was before. That's the way I like to think about it"

"Al..." Lysandra's white, shallow eyes snapped open in surprise. The words that Alphonse muttered would have never come out of her brother's mouth. She was sure Alric would have said that they could never fix their mistakes, but simply let them burn out of their minds. It was so...optimistic. So kind. It was a sort of optimism Alric wasn't capable of, no matter how hard he tried.

But was something she desperately needed to hear.

She buried her head safely into her knees once more, letting her thick bangs swallow her narrowed, trembling eyes. Although her world was as black as ever, she knew that kind suit of armor was staring back at her.

Alphonse lifted his hand in concern. Although a suit of armor couldn't quite firm expressions, it was clear worry crossed his face "D-did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's just..." She sighed, hugging her knees tighter to her stomach "I'm so tired to lying to you. Your too kind and honest with my brother and I. Even your brother Ed is tied up in courage and morals. I admire that. Really, I'm just tired of holding this in in all these years. I feel like if I don't tell someone I'll scream it out to the world. Then Alric would really kill me"

"What are you talking about?"

"...Alric and I...We committed human transmutation"

* * *

 _Trisha Elric  
1878-1904  
_  
It seemed Alric read the gravestone over and over again, letting it's simple yet twisted letters and numbers circle wildly around his head. It was just a typical gravestone, on out of many slabs of rock and peaked out of the ground. In fact, the black haired teen spotted much fancier monuments and graves within the small cemetery, each commemorating a lost and loved one. Alric however, knew an extra angel or decoration hardly did anything for Edward. A grave was a grave to him. The dead were simply dead.

Edward gently set the bouquet of colorful flowers right beside his mother's grave, as though he was afraid to smash the petals. For minutes, he bent down closely to the slab of stone, and let his golden eyes stare into its surface, as though he was a stone himself. His eyes narrowed as his soft stare became a regretful glare, a glare that Alric couldn't quite figure out. And he knew he would never be able to dissect.

Perhaps because death didn't bother him.

"She was young," Alric said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Edward softly replied, losing the tooth and edge to his voice "She was"

"I suppose your father wasn't around?" Alric raised his brow,making notice of the familiar surname carved within the stone "That's why you have the name of your mother?"

"Yeah. The bastard left us" The golden haired Alchemist replied with a slight growl. He clenched his warm, fleshy fist, letting that day flash across his mind. It wasn't the day that lead them down the path of human transmutation directly, but it certainly aided in that endeavor.

Edward did blame his father for nearly everything.

Alric sighed and titled his head impatiently "How long are we going to keep this up?"

Edward stood up, yet refused to turn around "As long as you want to"

"Then I'll be blunt. Why did you want to all me all the way out here? To a cemetery nonetheless?"

"Something's been bothering me," The golden haired Alchemist replied. He snapped his body around, revealing his determined, bright eyes "I'll cut the crap too. Did you break the taboo? Did you perform human transmutation?"

Alric felt his heart plummet right to his stomach. It was the question he thought would never fill his ears. It was the question he least expected from the golden haired teen. Yet...it was the question that he knew would come up one day. He simply didn't expect it so soon.

Instead of letting his face flush to an unimaginable red, Alric sighs and bar we his emerald green eyes into two little slivers "What brought this up?"

"I went through your journal," Edward selflessly admitted, not letting his stern face twitch in the slightest "And I saw it. The blood seal"

"You what?!" Alric yelled. In an instant, a deep, scowl appeared onto his face as he stomped right to the golden haired teen. Although he didn't have the luxury of hands, his sharp, deadly glare was more than what a slap or a fine punch to the face would do. Edward stepped back slightly, as though the furious black haired teen was about to teach him a lesson with his shoe to his face, yet his determination failed to leave his face.

Alric noticed that all too well.

"What kind of shit logic gave you the idea to look through my notebook?" Alric hissed "I poured my heart and soul into everything written in there. I don't just it anyone, let alone a kid looking to be God to get their fingers on it"

"Hey, I'm not looking to be god or whatever the hell you think I want to be," Edward growled with fury, raising his accusing finger towards the black haired teen "I don't wanna be anything. I want my little brother's body back and mine. And I'm sure your intentions for the Philosopher's Stone aren't for 'helping others' or that damn stuff. Your the one who wants to be god here!"

"No, I don't! I don't care about that!"

"Then what are you trying to do, huh?!"

"I'm trying to fix my goddamn family!" Alric screamed out his answer, letting it ring throughout what seems like the entire town of Resembool. He painted angrily, letting his face flush as bright as ever. It was like his face, nor his mouth could contain his answer anymore. He knew it was time, whether he liked it or not.

With a growled sigh, he snapped his head towards the ground and bared his teeth tightly "Alright fine. I broke the taboo and did human transmutation. Are you happy?"

"Why didn't you tell us?" Edward demanded "Al and I-"

"It's not something I like to announce, not even to anyone I trust," Alric's snapped back "Even to you and your brother. I don't know the punishment for breaking the taboo, and I really don't want to be the one to find out. The less people who know the better," he sighed, letting his face soften "But...I think out of everyone, you and your brother deserved to know. Now I realize that"

Edward let his golden eyes soften "We deserved to know"

"I know," Alric muttered "If I'm going to do this right, I have to tell you everything. I'm going to have to trust you if we're going to find the Philosopher's Stone and get what we need. If I tell you everything I know and went through, you're going to have to trust me"

The golden haired alchemist paused. A lingering feeling of doubt still simmered deep within his stomach. It felt he was buying trust rather than earning it. It was a sort of trust that was built upon a shaky foundation, and could fall apart at any moment. Yet, it was still trust. It was better than nothing.

"It's a start" Edward nodded.

With a deep, calm sigh, Alric let his frantically beating heart settle, and let his thoughts collect "Then I'll start from the beginning. It's the only way you'll understand. I'll start with something easy, such as...oh, right. I'm not Whitewood"

"...huh?" Edward blinked in confusion. It was a mixture of utter surprise, and oddly enough, disappointment.

"My surname is actually Miao. I believe Lysandra told you our father is from Xing. Whitewood is our grandmother's maiden name. We changed it for a couple of reasons, but that's not very important night at this moment. Just...just keep calling us Whitewood, alright? That who we are now"

"Ok.."

"Anyhow, although my father was foreign, our mother is Amestrian. We lived close to central, on the border with the East. How my parents met and all of that is not important, but what is is that they taught my sister and I plant biased alchemy and Alkahestry. The taboos were an area that we were taught not to touch, or even think about, really. So, it's not much of a surprise that we knew about human transmutation. Then we had a little brother" Alric furrowed his brows, causing his emerald green eyes to lose their particular glimmer they had against the bright sun of the day.

"Brother...?" Edward repeated softly.

"Yeah. Brother. His name was Jericho. A cute little boy too. Always had some kind of smile on his face. When he was six..." He sighed "I was about ten at the time, Lysandra was eight, our parents took us know Central to see a military demonstration. I don't quite remember what it was for, but I think it was some kind of public training drill. We stood near the front to watch, because Jericho couldn't see a darn thing. Anyways...someone or something spooked a soldier. Next thing I knew there was a gunshot and a bullet in my little brother's head...He died before he hit the ground"

Alric's lip began to visibly tremble, as though he was about to completely burst into tears. No matter how much his bottom lip twitched and quivered, not even his eyes began coated in his hot, steamy tears "Everything sort of fell apart after that. My mother and father began to fight, soon after his funeral. It went from screaming matches to throwing objects at another. It got so bad they sent us to our grandmother's cottage until things settled down. So...the idea of human transmutation came to light. We thought if we brought back Jericho from the dead...our parents would stop fighting and let us come home. It was...selfish to say in the least"

The black haired teen sighed once more, letting his body loosen up "A few months later, I dug up a body from the nearby cemetery and performed the transmutation in my grandmother's basement. Lysandra wanted to perform it with me but I went ahead by myself. On minute I was in front of the corpse, the next I was in a white room"

"Truth..." Edward whispered "You saw it, didn't you?"

Alric nodded "I don't remember much. I remember...seeing myself then...myself ripped apart. The next thing I knew I was back in my grandmother's basement with my sister couched over me. She brought me back from my failed attempt. I paid with my limbs and she paid with her eyes. Our grandmother learned and essentially cut us off from our entire family. Honor is a big thing in my family, both on my father's and mother's side. Breaking the taboo meant breaking with my family. We didn't expect it to be so...brutal, I suppose. One thing lead to another and we ended up in the hands of the people we disliked the most. The military. It's a take and give sort of relationship"

"What about your parents? Are they still alive?" Edward replied bitterly, causing Alric's eyes to flicker with curiosity. It wasn't jealousy nor envy that filled the golden haired alchemists voice, yet the armless alchemist couldn't quite put his finger on it. Was it...regret?

Alric shoved those tainted thoughts from his head and sighed "Probably, but it doesn't matter. We're as dead to them as they are to us. They won't accept my sister and I. I would hate for Lysandra to be...disappointed. She has too much to worry about as it is with her eyes alone. And it's all my damn fault..."

He grimaced, squeezing his jaw together until it felt like it would crush his teeth. He lead his pained emerald eyes right to the ground, so only he himself would be able to wallow within his remorse and guilt. It was painfully obvious to Edward, if the refusal to meet his demanding golden eyes weren't enough.

Yet, the black haired teen washed all of it away with seconds. By the time he raised his head up, all emotion was wiped straight from his face, as though he failed to have feelings in the first place "The sun is getting real low. We should go"

Edward paused,,and glance down to his curious black and white dog by the name of Den, as though he was answering to the little mutt "Yeah, you're right. We should head back"

So, without as so much as a word nor peep, to two very broken Alchemist's began their trek out of the cemetery, leaving the lovely bouquet of flowers on Trisha's gravestone. Although the wind was ripping through the air and across Edward and Alric, the breeze only brushed gently against the delicate flower petals. It was like the wind was too far afraid to mess with such sacred flowers.

It didn't take much longer to teach the house. Although the sun peaked right behind the horizon, a deep orange still lightly coated the land, letting everything it touched glow with warmness and light. By the time that Edward reached the door and opened it, the sun had finally been consumed by the horizon.

"We're back..." Edward announced as Den peeked through his legs and rushed into the house. His trek into the house however, was stopped by one person. Rather, one large and huggy person.

"Oh, Edward Elric!" Major Armstrong cried dramatically. Before the utterly confused Edward knew what was happening, the Major took the young alchemist in arms and essentially squeezed him to death.

"Gyaah! Gyaah!" Edward squeezed from his crushed throat. Alric couldn't help but shuffle far back, fearing he would be next.

"What unyielding love to try and bring your mother back to life! What a tremendous sacrifice to give up your arm in order to transmute your brother's disembodied soul! What determination to burn down your house! To make sure there was no retreat! Come, Edward, allow me to offer you this comforting embrace!" Armstrong proclaimed, letting his tears glimmer and sparkle upon his face.

"Just stay back! don't rub your chest on me!" Edward begged with little success "Ahhh!"

"Brother is that you?" Lysandra asked, raising herself from her seat.

"It is..." Alric mumbled as he observed the very huggy scene.

"...what's happening? It sounds like Ed's begging for his life" She tilted her head curiously.

"Yeah, something like that..."

Lysandra's glazed eyes widened in realization "I have something or tell you Alric. I...I-"

"I think I know what it is," Alric cut her off swiftly "You told Alphonse, right?"

"Yeah, I told Al..." She muttered, letting sorrow fill her tone "It was bound to happen"

A warm smile filled Alric's face "Don't worry about it. I told Edward"

"...you did?"

"Yeah"

"Really?"

"Don't act so doubtful. I'm not that secretive"

"He figured it out, didn't he?"

"...he looked through my notebook" Alric mumbled harshly under his breath. Although he tried his best to mutter his downfall as calmly and quietly as he could, a loud, spiteful chuckle escaped Lysandra. It was a chuckle that caused Alric to go blank, psychically and emotionally. It was safe to say he was unimpressed.

"The point is," the black haired teen raised his voice "We've earned the Elrics trust, to a certain extent. This means we'll get more information about the Philosopher's Stone, assuming they give us information. I think this also means they'll protect us to some extent as well. It meant giving out our biggest secret, but I think they're too good to tell anyone else.

"Then are you going to tell them the..." Lysandra pulled her armless brother closer, until she sat mere inches from his face "ingredient of the stone?"

"No," Alric replied quickly and blankly, as though the answer was engraved within his head.

"But don't you think-"

"I want them to find out for themselves. I need to see their reaction and decision"

"But why?"

"...I want to see how much they really want the stone. Because if they don't want it that much, then there's no point in working with them. If the Elric's give up...we'll go to Dr. Marcoh and get the stone ourselves"

"Ok..." Lysandra slightly nodded. Normally his words brought hope and relief to her heart, yet when those particular words left his mouth, something else began to simmer within her heart.

Guilt.

* * *

"Ready?"

"Uh, yeah..."

"On one..."

"Two..."

"Three!"

"Hnnnnnggggg..." Edward groaned with fury as his nerves squeezed and pinched together, as though someone poured lava on his automail arm and hoped it would seer into his stump of a shoulder. He clung onto to the couch for dear life, nearly clawing the still armless black haired alchemist. He had his leg back, in the very least.

The three days that passed seemed like an eternity for the highly impatient state alchemist. All he could really do or those days were lounge around the grass or discuss the Philosopher's stone with Alric (not that there was much to discuss in the first place). Alphonse and Lysandra had a good time, at least. Not that Edward noticed through his eagerness, of course. So, with his arm ready, he wallowed in pain and in happiness.

"That's the worst part every time...When the nerves have to connect like that," Edward groaned "Once we have the Philosopher's Stone, I can kiss that pain goodbye!"

"Our biggest source of income... I'll be sad to see you go" Pinako commented as she violently twisted her wrench.

Edward cried out in sheer pain "Yagghh!"

"Hold still. Ugh. Do you want me to do this right or not?" Winry's hissed. Her frustration soon faded away as her love of automail soon burst out of her "It's just so lovely! The smell of oil! The hum of the ball bearings! The rugged yet amazingly beautiful form created through anatomical engineering! Ah, how wonderful you are, my automail!"

"You do love your automail..." Alric anxiously raised his brow.

"Of course! What isn't there to love about it?" Winry's replied, as thought she was in a lovely dream with her rugged yet beautiful automail.

"Crazy gearhead..." Edward muttered, letting his eyes ever so carefully draw away from the blonde mechanic

"You're be lost without me, alchemy freak" She slipped right back into reality like slick oil. After a few more twists, turns, and moans, Edward's arm was finally attached. It didn't take much longer for Alric to replace Edward and lay upon the couch, waiting for his own source of pain.

"Well?" Pinako asked, as she hardly tugged at her wrench.

"Ah god..." Alric hissed, squeezing his emerald eyes shut.

Edward carefully rolled and moved his new arm around, letting it squeak and clunk safely. Its silver colored exterior glistened cleanly against the light of the house, revealing its new and fresh metal parts "Yeah, it feels good"

"I increased the amount of chrome this time, so it should be less prone to rusting," Winry explained "The tradeoff is that it's not quite as strong, so don't try anything crazy-Hey, listen up!"

Before she could even finish her words, aimlessly Edward rushed out of the house like a child filled to the brim with sugar and sweets, waiting to burn off energy. In this case he was more than eager to make Alphonse one whole part instead of bits and pieces. Winry could only sigh in utter disappointment of the golden haired alchemist.

"He looks eager to try out his new arm," Alric muttered, raising his brow curiously. Although he was more than happy to earn the ability to grab things and actually pick,up his notebook and write, he wasn't ready jump for joy and hug every breathing thing in sight because of so. His thoughts soon faded away as Winry began her work on his otter stump, causing his nerves to burn like fire.

"He is. Al told me that Ed's able to transmute him back again, because of the blood seal" Lysandra explained.

"Ah, right. That makes sense..." Alric groaned, letting pain shoot up into his body "There's 'Ed' and 'Al' again. When did that start happening?"

"Just a couple of days ago" Lysandra shrugged, as though not a thing was wrong. That soon changed however with Alric's response.

"Oh," Alric blankly and emotionlessly replied. It sat like a rock in between not only Alric and Lysandra, but also he unfortunate Rockbells who were forced to sit in the middle of it all as they worked. It seemed disapproval leaked from his being, considering he snapped his head away from his curious sister and refused to meet her eyes. Not that she really knew of course. However, his dark, empty voice told her more than enough.

"Is something wrong?" Lysandra asked, crossing her arms demandingly.

"No, no there isn't," the black haired alchemist hissed as Pinako slammed her wrench back "Forget I said anything"

"But-"

"I'm positive Alphonse is fixed right about now. How about you go ahead and visit him? Your walking stick is three steps to the right"

Lysandra opened her mouth to snap back, but immediately snapped it shut only seconds later. She knew there was no point in arguing, let alone with her own brother. He would simply change the subject and pretend not a single thing was wrong within their faded world. It was like trying to squeeze fluids out of a rock. So, with a sigh of defeat, she let her hands crawl through the air until she finally grasped her walking stick (which was a random stick Alric found in the yard).

"Don't get too comfortable brother. We have a library to visit" Lysandra casually waved.

A stinging pain shot through his arms, freezing up his body "I don't think you have to worry about that..."

With a light chuckle at her brother's expense, she began her trek into the outside world if Resembool. Alric swore he heard the laughs of her dear younger sister only moments later, echoing straight into his tender ears. He wanted feel joyous for Lysandra, enthralled. Yet, no matter how big her smile was not how loud her laughs were, he couldn't twitch his mouth into a grin. Instead, a feeling of suspicion laid uncomfortably in his stomach.

Perhaps because those laughs and smiles were for the Elric brothers. Not him.

"It seems your sister is taking quite a liking to the boys" Pinako commented "but it looks as though you're more than comfortable to watch from a distance"

"I just want to see that my sister is alright," Alric softly narrowed his emerald eyes into the couch "We're the only family we have left. Edward and Alphonse are quite lucky they have people like you, though they might not see it. Lysandra and I...don't have that luxury..."

 _How could your mother and father love you anymore? You're both dead to everyone you inhuman devils!  
_  
His grandmother's frightning, stinging words still sat bitterly within his mind. It felt like only yesterday he was thrown out of his grandmother's house, limbless with his blind sister. He knew he didn't have anyone to lean on. The only person he would ever have was his own sister. It was perhaps why bitterness still filled his veins, why revenge against others wounded so sweet, why he dreamed of flicking the life out of his grandmother's frail frame with his own two, fleshy hands.

It was the reason why becoming a monster in others eyes didn't matter to him. As long as he got what he wanted, why should he care about anyone else? He used them like he was used to be the scapegoat of his family.

"Perhaps, perhaps not," Pinako commented, causing Alric to slide away from his thoughts "Family comes in a number of forms and appearances. It's not too late to make your family of two bigger. Connections are important for anyone. It's easy to fall into despair without them"

Alric lightly nodded, as though he took in her kind words wholeheartedly. Yet, internally, he couldn't help but chuckle.

What a naive woman.

* * *

 **Thank you guest and roseeyes for your reviews!**

 **Guest: A happy new year to you too**

 **roseeyes: I'm glad that your enjoying my fic so far (not to mention that my story is one of the few OC stories you enjoy). I'm happy to know that you can relate to Lysandra, that's really touching to hear. Now, to answer your question, their were a few reasons why I made Lysandra blind. The main reason was sort of stated in the summary, she wanted to have her brother back again when he committed human transmutation, or SEE him. And Truth being...well Truth, it was only natural, that he took away her sight so she COULDN'T see her brother again.**

 **The other reason was that I wanted to see Truth take away something vital that deeply affects the character. I've seen in a lot of other OC fics (I'm not naming any in paticuiar, I'm just saying from what I've seen), that the OCs are not really affected with whatever Truth takes from them. When they have limbs taken, the character gets suited with automail almost right away and have little trouble with dealing with their artificial limbs and practcally forget about them. When they lose their memory, it's almost certain the character gains their memories back completely in one swoop with little trouble (and their isn't much in between those two points). I guess this sort of became a rant, so sorry about that. To wrap up, I wanted something that really halted** **my character with what they could and could not do (like Alphonse with his suit of armor), so I chose blindness.**

 **Whew! This was a heavy chapter indeed. Well, there it is, the background of the Whitewoods (Well, I suppose now Miao, since their father is from Xing). I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	10. A Bitter Ending, A Cruel Beginning

_|Chapter 10: A Bitter Ending, A Cruel Beginning|_

* * *

"Ahhhh! Dr. Marcoh's research! It's all...gone!"

It was the worst thing imaginable to the young State Alchemist. It was far worse than human transmutation, far worse than murder, far worse than death. It was a fate that no man, let alone small teen should go through. Once Edward laid his golden eyes upon the disaster, his face dropped to the ground like a lead brick.

The First Branch library was gone.

What was supposed to be a large, pristine building was nothing more than a pile of smoldering brick and ashes. Smoke still circled lightly into the afternoon sky, taunting the rather defeated golden haired alchemist. So, with all hope seemingly lost, he plucked a blackened book from the ground, only to let it crumble and fall apart within his gloved hands

"There's nothing here but ashes," Edward bitterly muttered, wrapping his fist around the flaky ashes within his palm "Everything's gone..."

"That's a problem..." Alric trailed off. However, it wasn't for the particular reasons that Edward was concerned about. Rather, it involved his patience. The destroyed library only helped it run much thinner.

Suddenly, blackmailing Dr. Marcoh seemed like the better option to the black haired alchemist.

"You think?!" Edward angrily snapped, slamming the papery, burnt flakes of the former book turn into small, dust-like ashes within his furious fist. With a growl, she slammed the ashes straight into the ground "This is damn perfect! All of it!"

"Hey," Alric replied sternly, snapping his flat palm cautiously into the air "I know your angry and all, but-"

His words were swiftly interrupted as Major Armstrong lifted his own meaty, large palm straight into the air, letting its glimmer bright against his own glittery face. With a defeated sigh, Alric shut his mouth and drew away.

"This not the time to be frustrated, Edward," Armstrong commented "I am certain you will be able to discover other alternatives to-"

"Major Armstrong!"

The familiar voice rang loud and clear across the devastation of the crumbling library. Major Armstrong's fine mustache seemed to twitch with eagerness as he snapped his head around, revealing his very familiar subordinates.

"Ah. Second-lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh. To what do we owe this pleasure?" Major Armstrong asked. Within an instant, the short haired Lieutenant and the brown haired Sergeant snapped their backs as straight as they could and replied with a strong, ferm salute.

"You've been ordered to report back to the Command Center, sir" Lieutenant Ross explained

"We'll be taking over the supervision of Edward Elric, Alric Whitewood and their corresponding relatives, effective immediately" Sergeant Brosh commanded.

Armstrong nodded "Very well. They are yours"

"What is this?" Edward whined "Just when I think I'm home free they saddle me with more bodyguards? This is getting old!"

"He's right. Why are we still under supervision?" Alric demanded, crossing his arms "I thought we were being watched by Major Armstrong because we couldn't protect ourselves against Scar. Now we can"

"Scar is still out there. Who knows where he'll attack next" Lieutenant Ross pointed out.

"Orders are orders...sir" Brosh trailed off, as though the last word struggled to escape his throat. Alric couldn't blame him too much. He was young and did outrank him considerably. Then again the military let a 12 yard old hold the title of State Alchemist, a dog of the military.

Although it took awhile to coax and practically drag Edward (and partially Alric) into the car, the determined Lieutenant and the good Sargent finally plopped them into a seat and drove off across Central. Even if it was a tight squeeze with the giant suit of armor that was Alphonse.

The young soul trapped within his metal prison towered over everyone stuffed into the car as he practically shoved Alric against the car door, as though he was as flexible as ever. Although the new chrome arms felt lighter to the black haired alchemist, they certainly didn't feel anymore flexible. Especially against his lungs. So, trapped between a thick sheet of metal and a equally thick door, Alric wheezed for each and every little breath.

It was perhaps one of the only times Edward was thankful for his size.

"So, that's it..." Lysandra sighed, squeezing her hands into fists "His notes are gone. We came to Central for nothing..."

"All might not be lost," Ross chimed in "There's a woman who is well acquainted with the materials in the first branch. Unfortunately, she wasn't working there anymore"

Edward groaned like the annoyed teen he was, causing him to lean further into the window "That sounds incredibly helpful..."

"It's better than nothing" Alric sighed.

"Yeah, I guess"

With nothing else within the minds and mouths of the two military officers, a thick silence sat between the questionably young State Alchemists and their so-called temporary supervisors. Although Alric and Edward sat quietly an somewhat contently within the confines if the car, Alphonse couldn't help but feel a bit of anxiousness rise within his suit of armor. He couldn't help but notice the subtle stares and glances he earned not only for Sergeant Brosh, but also from Lieutenant Ross.

Alphonse curiously titled his head "Something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Brosh shook his head "Although if you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing a suit of armor?"

The only thing the Elric brothers could do was snap their heads right at each other in complete loss. Edward and Alphonse stated at each other anxiously, waiting for the other to pull a random answer out of nothingness and blurt it out. Even the very uncomfortable Alric felt pity for the two brothers.

"It's a hobby!" Edward and Alphonse both exclaimed.

"Hobby?" Lysandra heard Brosh whisper anxiously "What kind of freaky hobby is that, Lieutenant?"

"Who are these boys anyway?" Ross hissed back.

"So, what do you say, Al? It's a lovely view, isn't it?" Edward suddenly blurted out, leading his golden eyes towards the window as thought not a single thing was wrong.

Alphonse snapped his helmet right at the window, avoiding as much attention and eye contact a giant suit of armor could "Oh, yeah, yeah, it's gorgeous!"

The utterly uncomfortable silence laid between the Elric brothers and the military officers like a thick, black blanket that swallowed anything that remotely resembles a real conversation whole throughout the entire car trip. Although Edward and Alphonse continued to practically stick their guilty heads right out the window as though everything was fine and dandy, it certainly didn't take away the suspicion that Brosh and Ross had lingering within their sharp eyes. Alric noticed that well enough. With little to discuss and even less to bring up, the black haired alchemist stayed as quiet as a mouse. As quiet as a mouse gasping for clean, fresh air that was.

That silence ended however the moment the group finally entered the mysterious woman's house.

He first thing that hit the black haired alchemist was the absurd amount of books that lined the house. Like strong army walls, the various novels were stacked high up into the ceiling, guarding whoever lived in such a messy house. It seemed the owner bought out an entire library, as though they were far too lazy to actually visit a library.

Alric sighed and latched onto Lysandra's hand "Grab onto me Lysandra. It's a tight squeeze in here"

Lysandra raised her brow as she clenched carefully onto her brother's familiar coat "Tight squeeze? I thought we were just in someone's house"

"We are, but there's books. Everywhere" He sharply responded as he began his crawl between the giant stacks of books.

"There's got to be a million of them" Edward commented in utter awe. He let his mouth hang open in shock as he glanced up at stack after stack of books. The surprise that lined his face still continued as he wiggled through the giant maze of novels that lined the house

"Aww. Is there really someone living in this place?" Sergeant Brosh raised his brow doubtfully, letting the inhuman amount of reading material hang over him like a shadow.

"Ms. Sheska! Are you here?" Lieutenant Ross called out "Ms. Sheska?"

As they all continued to squeeze throughout the wall of hefty books and noble, a small, soft voice faintly filled Lysandra's ears. At first, she thought it was nothing more than her imagination, thoughts that simply ran amuck within her impatient mind. When the voice continued however, the grim reality set in.

"Is someone there...?" The soft voice weakly begged "Please, help me..."

The black haired girl tugged at her brother's coat, prompting him to stop and snap his head curiously towards his sister.

"Lysandra?" Alric asked, raising his brow.

"Do you hear that? It sounds like a girl..." Lysandra trailed off, letting the weak, placing voice fill her tender ears.

Alric paused, only to shrug moments later "I don't hear a thing. Perhaps it's-"

"Uhm..." Alphonse suddenly interrupted. Like a giant brick wall, he set himself right in the middle of a tiny, thin hallway crafted out if the finest books he had ever seen. Although he didn't quite hear the pleading voice Lysandra spoke of, he did lay his red eyes upon a giant stack of books at the end of the hallway. With twitching fingers.

"Hmm?" Edward snapped his head up.

"Brother? There's somebody under there!" Alphonse exclaimed, snapping his finger towards the mess of books.

Everyone rushed over to the trapped woman in an instant and flung books off of her trapped body as though she was under rubble from a fallen building. By the time each little book was flung off of the mysterious woman's body, the wall of books that surrounded the home became nothing more than shallow mountains, coating the floor with its words and pages. All their hard work however revealed a rather wide eyes woman with an equally wide pair of glasses that fit her rounded face.

"Thank you!" The woman exclaimed in utter relief, crawling to her hands and knees in complete thankfulness "I'm so sorry I've got myself trapped under a whole mountain of books. I thought I was going to suffocate under there. Thank you so much"

"So, uh, are you Sheska?" Edward asked, dragging himself off the floor.

"Yes?" Sheska curiously replied as she plucked herself off her begging knees.

"And you worked at the library?" Alric asked "More specially, the first branch?"

"Ah, the library," Sheska droned on like an infatuated little school girl, letting love and admiration fill her eyes "The word itself is so beautiful! I've loved book my whole entire life, ever since I first learnt to read as a girl. The job was heaven..."

All Edward and Alphonse could do was blink in surprise "Uhh..."

Alric and Lysandra were simply a loss for words.

"But I forgot that I was supposed to be working and all I ever did was read, so they fired me..." She continued dramatically, sorrow filling her weak voice "If I don't find another job I'll never be able to move my poor elderly mother into a better hospital, But I'm hopeless! The only thing I can do well is read. I'll never find another job as long as I live. I'm useless, good for nothing! More pathetic than pond scum!"

"Eh... Excuse me?" Edward carefully slid back into her thoughts, snapping the famed book worm out if her day dream "There was one thing we wanted to ask you"

"Yes?" Sheska blinked back into reality and adjusted her thick frames.

"Do you remember seeing any research belonging to someone named Tim Marcoh?" The golden haired alchemist asked.

"Let's see. Tim Marcoh. Where do I know that name?" Sharks carefully trailed off. Moments later however, her eyes lit up in realization "Oh. Yes, of course! I remember now?"

"Are you certain?" Alric asked doubtfully.

"Oh, yes. I'm absolutely positive. There were some hand-written notes stuffed into a bookcase they didn't belong"

"The notes really were there after all!" Edward exclaimed in pure joy. Until he realized what his words actually meant "which means it burnt up along with everything else in the library..."

"Do you want to read them? Is that why you're asking?" Sheska curiously asked.

"Yeah. But it's too late now," Edward sighed in defeat, stuffing his hands firmly in his pocket "They're nothing but ashes"

Alphonse replied with a hearty, quick now "Sorry to bother you"

"No, wait," Alric raised his hands demandingly into the air and carefully walked up to the curious book worm "Did you happen to read his notes?"

She nodded "I did"

"Then do you remember anything written in those notes? Any shred of information would help"

Sheska paused, letting her old thoughts fill her mind "I remember everything that was in them"

"You...what?"

Ed and Alphonse stopped dead in their tracks, as though he stepped in a pond of thick, wet concrete that glued them in place. They immediately snapped their hands right to the unassuming little bookworm, who was oblivious as ever

"HUH?"

"It's just how I am. I'm able to remember the content of any book I've ever read," Sheska explained "It'll take a while but I can write them out for you"

Edward's little heard filled with joy and glee in an instant. Without as so much as an inclination to his actions, he darted straight towards the woman and practically squeezed and shook her hands to a pulp.

"Thank you, bookworm! You're my hero!" Edward exclaimed in relief.

All Sheska could do was blink in utter confusion "You're... welcome?"

It didn't take much longer the military officers, the Elric brothers and the Whitewood siblings to finally burst out of Sheska's little book filled home and leave her to to her work. It seemed that all the stress and eagerness that once filled the golden haired Alchemist disappeared, as though it was sucked right out of him. So, with a rather pleasant smile upon his face, he firmly put his hands behind his head and let the roar of the car engine purr into his ears.

"I almost thought we were done for Al," Edward admitted "I almost completely gave up on Dr. Marcoh's notes"

"But you did give up brother" Alphonse pointed out "We both did"

"Don't worry about that," Lysandra assured "We have a strong lead to the notes now. If Sheska's memory is as good as she says it is, of course..."

"She is, I'm sure if it" Edward thought positively.

"Five days is a long time to wait..." Alric sighed, crossing his arms.

"What are you all planning to do while you all wait, if you don't mind me asking?" Lieutenant Ross asked.

"Al and I will go to another library and see if there's anything else about the Philosopher's stone" Edward responded.

"We might not have Dr. Marcoh's notes right at this moment, but that won't stop from researching" Alphonse exclaimed.

"What about you sir?" Sergeant Brown turned his attention to the black haired teen "What are your plans?"

Alric paused, letting his emerald green eyes wander to his leather gloves. Under the inch of fabric stood his creaking automail, along with its secrets. His hands twisted around right as those words left Brosh's mouth, as though reluctance filled the Reaping Alchemist. However, with a sigh he lifted his eyes to the curious Sergeant, revealing their tired nature.

"I have a gravestone to visit"

* * *

Alric was tired of death.

It seemed everywhere he dared to go, death followed him like his own dark shadow. It was everywhere within the eyes of the black haired alchemist, creeping across every little person it could find and snatch up within its deadly teeth. It took anyone, from a deadly murderous butcher to a naive little girl. So, he could only sigh once he set a bouquet of roses right in front of General Basque Grand's little gravestone, only one of many gravestone within Central lines.

No, he wasn't tired of the notion of death really, he was just tired of feeling the pain that came with it. And wasn't his pain he was worried about so much.

Lysandra loosely clung onto her brother's false arm, as though she was far too afraid to hug its metal contents tightly. Instead, she loosely clung onto a handful of his sleeve and stood blankly in place. She didn't even know what she was starting at, yet she hoped her blank, empty eyes drew to the General's gravestone. The man who gave her brother a chance to be someone again.

She clamped onto his sleeve tightly, letting her knuckles whiten.

"Grand was the last person who I thought would be six feet under," Alric softly admitted, his voice swayed by the thin breeze "I have to say, I think I'm still in shock"

"I hope his death wasn't too painful" Lysandra commented.

Alric chucked weakly, a laugh deprived of any emotion "The autopsy said his brains were basically torn to shreds. I doubt that was anything but painless. That's what Hughes wrote in the very least"

"He was a good man. Not only to his country but to us" Lysandra whispered back.

"Yeah, I suppose so"

The black haired girl blinked in surprise, as though she misheard her brother's words "What do you mean?"

"You know what everyone said about the Ishvalan war of extermination. It wasn't exactly Amestris' shining hour," Alric shrugged "I heard a lot of State Alchemist's turned in their state certifications because of its brutality. And the soldiers who didn't...people say the ghosts of all of the Ishvalan's who died during the war haunt them every night. A few went to jail because they took their duty too far. It's a wonder what those soldiers did during that time. I think it's safe to say General Grand had his fair share of moral dilemmas. Unless he let his morals die along with all of those other people"

"You speak of him like he's some sort of criminal" Lysandra said in a rather unsteady voice.

Alric softly shook his head, causing his trapped arm to shake "No, no I not saying he's evil or anything, don't worry about that. I'm just saying he's...human. He put his faith to the military like one would put faith in God. Anyone under his jurisdiction noticed that. He did what he thought was right. That's why I respected him. It wasn't because of his title or any of that material nonsense, but because he believed in doing what he thought was just and right. That's what any of us can do"

"But what he did during that time...was it really the right thing to do?" Lysandra asked softly.

Alric paused, letting his familiar thoughts crawl around his mind "There isn't anything that is truly 'right', Lysandra. There's just people's interpretations of it. We just happen to follow the interpretation of good and just defined by the military. And you know what?"

"Hm?"

"I don't mind it. As long as we're safe and we get what we lost...I don't care what this country does to its people"

All Lysandra could do was nod, even as that uncomfortable feeling within her stomach grew stronger. A feeling she gained from a certain suit of armor as his golden haired brother.

"Whitewood? Is that you?!"

Alric's heart dropped all the way down to the grass in a mere instant. That serious, yet goofy voice only came from one particular man. The man who carried dozen upon dozens of pictures of his loving family. The man who was practically defined by his wife and daughter. It was him.

Lysandra's white eyes flickered in realization "Lieutenant Hughes? Is that you?"

"You know it!" Hughes exclaimed, stomping towards the Whitewood siblings like the good little soldier he was.

"Ah, Lieutenant Hughes..." Alric trailed off, attempting to hide the pain and annoyance in his voice "What a surprise..."

He practically choked on his words as a firm elbow collided right into his ribs. Courtesy of his little sister.

"What brings you here?" Lysandra asked ever so innocently, blocking Alric's insufferable wheezing and pain.

"I've been looking for you two, actually. The Major said you would be here sooner or later," Lieutenant Hughes explained "You should have stopped by the command center! You said you'd come by the next time you stopped in Central"

"We've been awfully busy ever since we've landed in Central," Alric said, shrugging off handedly "We were planning to visit once things settled down a bit"

"Ah, I understand. I've been pretty busy myself. Not only do we have Scar to deal with, were still getting the whole Tucker and chimera incident settled too"

"Oh, right..."Alric responded weakly, as though he was just a little kid. Hughes couldn't help but notice the pain laced within his voice. Or, so he thought.

Lieutenant Hughes sighed "Sorry for opening that wound up again"

"No, it's alright," Alric sighed deeply, causing his face to go as blank as a chalkboard "I'm over it. What's done is done. A little girl simply got caught up in it all"

The Lieutenant put on a reassuring smile "If it makes you feel any better, I've heard from the higher ups that they gave Tucker's little girl a nice funeral"

"That's good to hear" Alric nodded "I'm more than happy to know that Tucker is good and dead, really. That's all that matters"

"Of course," Lieutenant Hughes replied. Although his lopsided, friendly smile stayed glued firmly onto his face, a bit of uncertainty pinged at his heard the moment Alric grinned with his rather hurtful words. Sure, it was comforting to know that the Sewing-Life Alchemist was gone from this world, considering Hughes thought of his own daughter when he thought of Tucker's cruel actions. But...a smile? It seemed...a bit off.

Perhaps it was what trauma did to people. Trauma from when Tucker created little monster out of his bubbly daughter.

Hughes quickly shook those thoughts from his head as he glanced over Alric's blind sister, bringing out some other emotion that wasn't unsettling to him.

"By the way, are you two free tonight?" Lieutenant Hughes asked "Gracia and I and planning a little something"

"Well, you see-" Alric was about to say, until another elbow collided right into his stomach.

"We are!" Lysandra exclaimed over her brother's newfound pain "Isn't that right brother?"

"Of...course..." Alric managed to choke out.

"That's great! Gracia and Elicia will be delighted to know that you'll join us for dinner! You'll come right now, won't you?" Hughes exclaimed like a little excited school girl, prancing along on their first day of school "You know, Elicia has just become more adorable from the last time you saw her! I swear she'll grow up to be the greatest daughter in the entire world! I have I shown you the picture of Elicia in her new flower dress?"

As Lieutenant Hughes went to burst with happiness as he explained every little detail of his daughter, Alric slowly and dangerously crept into Lysandra's oblivious ears "Sister, you owe me...everything"

"No, I don't. I don't owe you a single thing" Lysandra responded in a clam, unconcerned voice, letting Hughes's words slip right over her head.

"And why is that?"

"I'm not going to be the one who lets down Lieutenant Hughes. Are you?"

"...fair enough sister...fair enough..."

* * *

"Here you are"

Sheska finally heaved the last thick stack of notes upon the table, only one of many stacks that stood high above the Elric brothers and the Whitewood siblings. With a sigh of relief, she stood straight up and proudly in front of the various notes she scribbled down so effortlessly.

5 days seemed like an eternity to Edward. It was far worse than the eternal boredom he felt during his time in Resembool only days ago. Sure, he felt more more than helpless without his leg and arm, but he felt more than impatient knowing Dr. Marcoh's notes were just moments away from his eager grasps. So, a grin came to his face when his hungry golden eyes laid upon the doctors famed notes. Although Alric felt as though he didn't need the notes to achieve what he wanted, interest still ate at his brain

"Complete copies of all Tim Marcoh's notes. Sorry, I know five days is a long time to wait. But there was quite a lot to write down" Sheska apologized

"Unbelievable!" Alphonse exclaimed, letting his red eyes wander around the tower of notes "There are some amazing people in this world"

Edward carefully picked up a thick stack of his notes "These are really Dr. Marcoh's research notes?"

"They sure are!" Sheksa assured "Come and take a look at them. Written by Tim Marcoh: One thousand easy recipes"

Lieutenant Ross's face fell the moment we laid eyes upon the notes contents. What was supposed to be concrete and simple notes were...onions? "Six cups of rice, one carrot, two onions, salt... Oh great. Does this mean we come all this way for a cookbook?"

"Miss, which part of this made you think it was an important document?" Sergeant Brosh asked as he tossed a thick sheet of notes in defeat.

"Is it not what you're looking for? All I did was copy down what I remembered" Sheska defended

"Wonderful. So this was just a wild goose chase?" Brosh sighed. Although the military officers thought all was lost, the young State Alchemist's had a much different thought in mind.

Edward carefully studied the notes, as though it wasn't just a plain old simple recipe for green tea.

"Sheska? Are you absolutely sure this is a flawless reproduction of the notes?"

"Oh yes," the bookworm eagerly nodded "I'm one hundred percent certain"

"And this is by Dr. Tim Marcoh? The Crystal Alchemist?" Alric asked, barely letting his emerald eyes lift from his thick pages

"Oh yes, I'm certain"

Edward let his golden eyes lift from his page "Then thank you very much. You're incredible. Alright! let's get these back to the library"

It didn't take much longer to clear the stacks upon stacks of various notes from the table. Although they seemed quite a bit heavy, it didn't stop Edward nor even Lysandra from sliding a thick stack into their able arms.

Alphonse lifted a thick stack from the table and proceeded to walk away to the door "They should have the latest materials there"

"Uh-huh. Oh. I almost forgot Sheska's fee. Lieutenant?," Edward realized. In an instant, he pulled out a small notebook and quickly scribbled a few numbers within it. Satisfied, he pulled out his pocket watch and plopped it into Lieutenant Ross's hand, along with the mysterious note.

Here. This is my registration number and the pocket watch for ID. Withdraw that amount from my annual research grants and make sure Sheska gets it, okay?" Edward asked as he finally shoved the last of the notes into his arms.

"Right. I'll be on that right away, sir," Ross saluted with pride and a sense of duty "I assume that I can just take this note down to the State Alchemist Office?"

"That should work," Edward nodded. With his last words, he began his trek out of the house. Not without a simple wave of his hand, of course "Well, Sheska, you're a lifesaver. Bye!"

As the four (and of course Sergeant Brosh), fled from the incredible book worm's little home, Lysandra carefully slid further up to her brother. Letting his long trench coat act as a rope, she pulled herself carefully to what she hoped to be his tender ear.

"Should we have given Sheska a bit of money? For her troubles, you know?" Lysandra asked, letting obvious guilt coat her voice.

"No, I don't think so," Alric bluntly replied "Edward had that part covered well enough. If he still wants to find the Philosopher's stone after we look through these notes, I suppose I could find a way to make it up"

"What do you mean by that? Wait, do you mean…" Lysandra's eyes flickered open in realization.

"I have feeling that special ingredient to a Philosopher's stone is in here," Alric admitted "But, I'm more interested in how to use one as well as what other things Marcoh has to say about it"

"So...I guess we'll see what Ed and Al's thoughts on the stone then"

"I think. Soon" Alric thought aloud. He didn't know how to feel about it. He didn't know whether to wait and hope for the best or start packing again to steal from Dr. Marcoh's. Either way he knew it would be interesting to uncover the final result.

He just hoped he wouldn't be disappointed.

It didn't take much longer for the groups to trek down to the nearest, unchared library and spread out Dr. Marcoh's illusive notes upon a table. As Lieutenant Ross pulled out a hefty sum for the brilliant book worm that was Sheska, Edward and Alric began sift through the piles upon piles of notes in search for an answer.

Sergeant Brosh could only raise his brow doubtfully as he glanced through the endless pages of recipes and unseemingly useful notes "I don't understand. These are cookbooks. What could they possibly have to do with alchemy?"

"Alchemy is a powerful art. I can be incredibly dangerous if misused. In order to prevent that, alchemic research is always encrypted" Edward explained.

"For example," Alric pulled out his own notebook and mindlessly thumbed through its many pages "My notebook is encrypted as well. As Edward noticed when he looked through it…"

The golden state alchemist could practically feel Alric's razor sharp glare dig into his skull. So much in fact he changed the subject as fast as he swallowed an entire meal "These are designed to look like recipes to the average person. But they are actually advance alchemical notes. Only the alchemist who originally wrote them can understand...sorry" Edward added on.

"If they are so heavily encrypted, then how are you going to be able to decipher them?" Brosh asked.

Edward sighed as he flipped through a page "It's not going to be easy. We'll have to use all our alchemical knowledge"

"Wow, sir," Sergeant Brosh anxious rubbed his neck, as though the words flew right over his head "That sounds really complicated…"

"There's not much to worry about," Alric shrugged "State Alchemist are required to be knowledgeable in many areas. Including general history"

"Al!" Edward's golden eyes flickered open, letting excitement fill his young orbs "There's a section in here on green tea"

"Green tea?" Alphonse questioned, pulling a few books from the shelf "Are you thinking what I am?"

"Uh-huh," Edward nodded "It might be a reference to the green lion of metallurgic alchemy. Do we have a copy available of Flamel's codex or Lambspring's concerning the Philosopher Stone?"

"Of course!

"We should take a look at Timaeus as well" Alric commented "And perhaps any other books referring directly to the Philosopher's stone"

"Right" Alphonse nodded swiftly.

Edward eagerly yanked a few intriguing books from their hiding place and proceeded to dig into its contents, as though they were about to jump off he page and dig into his thoughts "Alright! Take a look at this here. And here too, you see?"

Alphonse slowly crept up to his brother and peered curiously over his shoulder before he grabbed yet another book "Yeah, you're right. And maybe here, too!"

"Great! We got a place to start. Let's do this!" Edward exclaimed with the brightest outlook a tiny State Alchemist with a few missing limbs and a hollow brother could have. Which, was relatively bright to say in the least. So, Alric read out the notes to his little sister and Edward and Alphonse exchanged thoughts, the Whitewood siblings and the Elric brothers disappeared into their own little worlds. Although they blended thoughts and ideas once in a while, they worked in separate ways.

The reason was simple enough. One set of siblings didn't know the cruel truth of the Philosopher's stone, the other didn't care of its grim reality. Yet, both worked eagerly for their own answers. Days into their research cram however, their outlook began to change. All except the Reaping Alchemist's view however.

"Brother, stop reading...my head hurts. It's all just a jumble of food and measurements at this point..." Lysandra whined, letting her body all limp against a wall as though she was a nothing more than a rag doll for Alric to throw aside. Her head panged with pain, as though the information crammed within it was about to explode and drip out onto the floor. She didn't know how much more she could take. It put her off letting Alric read to her for a while, in the very least.

Alric sighed in disappointment as he flipped the page over "You said you wanted to help. I'm holding you up to your word. Besides, it's only been a couple of days. This is nothing"

"I know, but my brain feels like mush..." Lysandra complained, crossing her arms in frustration "it's time like these I really miss my eyes. I wouldn't have to remember everything, I'd write it down like you do"

"We're close to getting your sight back. Very close. Can't you feel it?"

"I suppose...but I'd feel closer if we could figure out this damn encryption!" Lysandra groaned. In her defeat, she snapped her head backwards, letting it rest against the wall in disappointment

"Tell me about it..." Edward muttered in disappointment. His defeated expression rested against the table, as though he would magically absorb the information through his face. "Why does this encryption have to be so damn hard to figure out..."

"Brother? Maybe we should ask doctor Marcoh about this directly" Alphonse suggested.

"No way. That would be admitting defeat" Edward stubbornly snapped back, causing him to angrily twirl his pen around his fingers.

"So this is a contest now?" Alphonse questioned doubtfully.

"I doubt he's willing to tell us the encryption directly," Alric sighed "It didn't seem he was particularly trustful of us. Even if he did give you the tip to the library"

"I believe Dr. Marcoh gave us the note for a reason" Edward shook his head.

"Fair enough"

"Excuse me?" A familiar shy, soft voice carefully and through the room. In an instant, Edward peeled his curious golden eyes from his intriguing page about quiche and lifted them up on the door. His blank, cold face softened the moment he saw that familiar turtleneck and big, gentle orbs.

"Sheska..." Edward mumbled in surprise.

Sheska carefully shuffled into the room, weaving brought the various books and notes that lined the floor "Thanks to the money you gave me, Edward, I was able to move my mother to a better hospital. I really appreciate it"

"Nah. It was no big deal, really" Edward shrugged carelessly like the young little teen he was.

"Have you had any luck deciphering it so far?" Sheska asked. Her question was soon answered once everyone's faces dropped to the floor like a ton of lead.

"Uh, not yet, unfortunately..." Alric anxiously grinned.

"Have you found another job yet?" Alphons curiously asked. His question was also answered soon enough as Sheska's entire face dropped like an anvil. An anvil full of responsibility and stress, of course

"Anyway," the thoughtful bookworm quickly fixed a small smile upon her round face "you four made me feel better. It was nice to know that even a pathetic mess like me can help out sometimes. So thanks for that as well"

"You're not a pathetic mess," Alphonse softly snapped "I think that the kind of dedication you've shown to reading is a talent all on its own. And besides that your memory is incredible. You should have more faith in yourself"

Sheska blinked in utter surprise. Those were the last words she thought she would ever hear within her short, book filled life. It was enough to bring a warm, sincere smile to her small face and light up her normally dull eyes "Thank you, Al!"

"Yo!" An awfully familiar voice called out. The only voice that could make Alric almost freeze in sheer shock and slight terror. Lysandra didn't need her eyes to realize that, considering the groan that escaped his lips

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes!" Edward called out in surprise, causing the Lieutenant to step forward like the good soldier he a grin that was seemingly brighter than his own daughter, he slapped his hands upon the table

"Major Armstrong told me you four were here. What gives, Ed?" Hughes asked with sole curiosity "I told you to give me a shout the next time you made it to Central. You missed a lovely dinner with my daughter and my wife. With Alric and Lysandra of course"

"When did this happen?" Edward snapped his head to the sitting Alric

"A couple of days ago. He tracked us down…" Alric muttered.

"Oh, uh…" the golden haired Alchemist chuckled with guilt "Something urgent came up. Sorry"

Hughes simply shrugged "It's just as well, I've been busy too We have a lot of cases to deal with lately. And we're still working on getting the Tucker-Chimera situation settled"

He shoved his painful words right back into his mouth the moment he realized that every single word was a mistake. In seconds, Edward's anxious, yet happy demeanor crawled down his face, leaving a hollow shell of sadness and regret. The golden haired Alchemist slowly drew his eyes away from Hughes, as though he was too ashamed to even look at such a good man. Even the hollow suit of armor that was Alphonse revealed much pain within his red eyes.

Alric simply sighed to wipe away what little pain he had left. Which wasn't much to begin with, anyhow.

"Sorry,' Lieutenant Hughes apologized, holding up his hands in defense "I guess that brings up some unpleasant memories, huh?"

"I'd say we've moved on" Alric sighed, loudly snapping his notebook shut.

"Anyway, as if things weren't bad enough for us already, the First Branch had to burn down in the middle of all of this" Hughes continued.

"That's been a problem, huh?' Edward asked, snapping his head back up curiously.

"A big one. All our case records were stored in the stacks of that location and try to work without them hasn't been a picnic, let me tell you" Hughes shook his head in defeat. He could already feel his future self pulling out his hair from the amount of work the higher ups would stick onto them. That was before all eyes turned to the obvious, yet brilliant bookworm. Sheska could only blink in utter confusion as four pairs of eyes slowly shifted to her, hungry for her skills

Edward fixed a confident smirk upon his face "Hey Lieutenant Colonel, I think I've got exactly the person you guys are looking for"

Alric snapped up to his feet and pointed to Sheka as though she was gorgeous metal with plenty of value "Lieutenant Hughes, meet Sheska. She said earlier she remembers everything she has ever read to the smallest detail"

"Hey, is that true?" Hughes snapped his head eagerly to the girl in question.

"Well, I have read the military's case records and I do remember them all…" Sheska trailed off, glancing to the ceiling in thought

"That's all I needed to hear, lady. You're hired!" The Lieutenant grinned with ease "My office pays well so don't worry"

"Oh, uh... You're saying you want me…" It took seconds for the bookworm to realize what was occurring right before her eyes. Suddenly, she raised her head, revealing her wide, joy filled eyes, as though she was a mere child "Thanks so much! I'll have faith just like you told me to. Thank you! Thank you!"

"Come on now, right to work!" Hughes commanded. In an instant, he latched onto her thin arm and proceeded to drag her out of the library like some kind of rag doll. Sheska however, failed to even fight back. Drunk on joy and utter shock, her body went limp like jelly and let the Lieutenant drag her out.

Edward waved as he let a pen rest in his mouth "She may not be thanking us for long…Hehe. Ha…." In utter defeat of his work, his head slammed back onto the table, where he let himself wallow in fatigue "How do you put it again Al? I think 'dedication is a talent all on its own?' Very smooth, little brother, very smooth..."

Alphonse rested his elbow upon the table "Well, it's something I always think whenever I see a certain someone I know"

"Dedication is a talent all on its own...hm?" Lysandra whispered quietly to herself, so softly that not even her brother's prying ears could hear. She felt like she was only dedicated to obtaining her sight again, and nothing more. She didn't really feel that was a talent at all, let alone a good goal. In fact, it simply felt like a chore to her. Yet...there were other ways to look at dedication.

Dedication to helping not only herself, but others.

"Alric?" She whispered louder.

"Hm?" The black haired alchemist brushed against his sister's sleeve

'Wouldn't you think we could get this over with quickly if we just told them the ingredient to the stone?" Lysandra asked. Question was soon answered with a sigh.

"It's too late for that now sister,' Alric weakly replied "And anyhow, we need to see their reaction. It's much different when someone is told truth as opposed to when they discover it. Discovery requires...motivation and emotion. We need both if we want to find the Philosopher's stone together"

All Lysandra could do was nod.

"Well, in that case," Edward yanked the pain from his teeth and flipped in back into his tight grip, ready to bury himself into Dr. Marcoh's elusive notes once more "a certain someone should hurry and get back to work or you're gonna have to come up with a new motivational phrase.

His eagerness and joy for his work was only to be short lived by the truth.

* * *

"Here's the last of the notes"

Alric dumped the crumpling, thick stack of notes upon the table, letting its contents shake and flutter upon Edward's work space. The golden state alchemist however, failed to notice or even remotely care. He was too far buried within his research. It was only after ten days of flipping through books, scribbling notes, and exchanging words that he finally had a breakthrough.

A breakthrough that shattered his entire world.

His eyes widened his shock as he rose his shaky hands into the hair, causing the single piece of paper within them crumble within his iron grip "No, no no...don't tell me this is it…"

"Brother…" Alphonse slowly rose to his feet and shuffled to his brother in concern "What is it?

"What's wrong?" Alric raised his brow, peeing curiously over the edge of his notebook. Edward's horrified look however, said more than enough to him.

The time had finally come.

"I finished the encryption…" Edward managed to choke out "To make a Philosopher's stone...you need multiple human souls...human sacrifices…"

"What?" Alphonse cried out in utter shock. All he could do was fall to the floor, and bury his head into his hands. Away from the cursed notes.

"That's...terrible…" Lysandra muttered. The sorrow that lined her voice however was more than real.

All Alric did was glare out from his notebook. It was safe to say he was a bit disappointed with their reaction.

Yet he wasn't all that surprised..

"To hell with it!" Edward violently grabbed a stack of the notes and flipped them furiously into the air, causing the frantic paged to rain down with their hard work and cursed notes. There was nothing else to be done, the young Edward Elric thought.

Their journey was all over.

Sergeant Brosh and Lieutenant Ross rushed in upon the mess that was the room as well as the Elric brothers. Although papers were scattered across the floor like snow, that wasn't the distant the military officers laid their eyes on. Instead, it was Edward and Alphonse, who buried their heads shamefully into the hands.

"What did you guys do to this place?" Brosh asked in utter shock.

"Don't get angry because you can't crack it. Throwing things won't help" Ross snapped harshly.

"We did crack it…" Alphonse quietly muttered.

"Huh?" Brosh and Ross both blinked in surprise, letting their faces soften.

"We decrypted the notes," Alric explained calmly.

"Really? You did? But that's a good thing isn't it?" Brosh questioned.

Edward growled with frustration as he slammed his fist onto the table "There's nothing good about it, damn it! This is the Devil's research. It should have been destroyed. Doctor Marcoh was right. It's evil"

"What's so evil about it?" Brosh asked, his heart racing with anticipation and worry.

All the defeated young state alchemist could to was sigh, and draw away his remaining hand from his face "The main ingredient for a philosopher stone is human life. In order to manufacture even a single stone you'll have to make multiple human sacrifices"

Brosh's eye winded in complete and utter terro "How could the military authorize research into something so horrible?"

"I can't believe it. How awful!" Ross cried out.

"Do us a favor. Don't speak to anyone about this" Edward demanded

"But, sir…" Brosh trailed off, coaxing his brows in concern.

"Please," His voice softened into a weak, helpless tone "Just pretend you never heard any of it…"

Alric sighed and snapped his book shut, refusing to hide his glaring emerald eyes from anyone, let along the Elric brothers. He finally earned his answer.

It was time to...celebrate?

As Edward and Alphonse scurried away to the darkest parts of their hotel room and minds, Alric and Lysandra decided to take a different route to their so called hopelessness. It included a steak dinner at the hotel's dinner restaurant and a plans for train tickets to Dr. Marcoh's little house of hope. Alric could practically feel his fleshy limbs on his body once more. It was only one extortion away.

So, without a care in the world, Alric happily munched at his tender steak. Lysandra however, could only poke and prod it with disinterest.

Guilt filled her heart and soul. She felt terrible for the Elric brother's, not because of the horrid ingredient of the Philosopher's Stone', but rather the kind brothers disappointment. It was like all of their hope faded away in a mere instant. It was like their entire system fell apart.

It was like they shattered. And no one deserved that.

Alric coaxed his brows as he gently lifted his eyes from his plate "Lysandra, are you alright? You look a bit troubled"

With a sigh, she drew her hands safely into her lap "I feel bad for Ed and Al. I heard the pain in their voices. They must have looked hopeless when they found out about the stone..."

"They did, they did," Alric repeated weakly "Even I have to admit I feel a bit terrible when they over reacted about what powered the stone. But, what's done is done. If they don't desire the stone after discovering it's what powers it, then that's a shame. For a second there I thought we could work together, but alas" With a carefree shrug, he stuffed a healthy forkful of mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Overreacted?"

"Of course. I thought if they figured out the ingredient of the stone, they wouldn't fall apart like they did. I thought they would feel a little bad, but continue on the path of the Philosopher's Stone. They wouldn't kill to make another stone, but rather use an existing one, but not from Dr. Marcoh. I simply thought they wouldn't mind using human souls already put into a stone, as they're as good as gone, anyways. They're so strung up on their particular morals that they can't see past the surface to their answer"

"Morals aren't a bad thing, brother," Lysandra added "Their morals are just different from ours, that's all. When I talked to Al...I realized that he and his brother are not willing to kill or hurt others to get what they want. A soul is a soul to them, I suppose"

"No, I'm not saying morals are inherently bad, I'm just saying their outlook is what is holding them back," Alric sharply sighed "I'm getting tired of talking about the Elric brothers. Let's discuss something else"

"Alright then" Lysandra nodded, letting her limp of words sit firmly in her throat "When we star-"

"Alric sir?" A familiar voice suddenly cut through her thoughts like scissors, causing her to furrowed her brow as she placed the voice within her head.

"Sergeant...Brosh?" Lysandra rose her head in realization "I didn't hear you come in at all"

"What is it?" Alric asked, setting down his cutlery.

"We were wondering if you've seen the Elric brothers around," Lieutenant Ross asked "From what we know, they're still held up in their room"

"No, I haven't. Lysandra?" Alric turned to his sister, earning a swift shake of her head.

"I haven't heard their voices either," the black haired teen responded.

"You all must feel terrible after you discovered what made a Philosopher's stone" Brosh furrowed his brows in concern.

"Yeah, it sort of took us all by surprise" Alric anxiously rubbed the back of his head "but the shock finally settled in. We just had to accept it. There was nothing else we could do"

"I see you've both taken the news very well," Ross muttered, letting her narrowed eyes glide over their hefty, not so sad meals "Considering how the Elric's are acting"

"We deal with stress differently" Lysandra quickly added in.

"Maybe you two could run by their rooms and see how their doing," Brosh suggested "They won't let us in. Perhaps they'll let you?"

"I don't know, I-" Alric shut his mouth he moment he felt Lysandra's foot violently kick his automail leg, causing to vibrate throughout her entire body.

"That's a brilliant idea," Lysandra replied with smile "Alric, let's go"

Before he could even fight her words, he was whisked across the restaurant all the way to the front door of the Elric's room, much to his dismay. Although he attempted to fight against that particular idea tooth and nail, he soon realized he was fighting a war he lost.

So, with a sigh, he rapped the door "Edward, Alphonse, it's me, Alric. Open up"

He was met with utter silence.

"I know you feel terrible and all, but wallowing in self pity isn't going to help," Alric responded sharply "It's like what we've said before, you have to move on. It's about time you've both moved on"

"I don't think drilling that into them is going to work, brother..." Lysandra muttered. With a growl, Alric harshly rapped on the door until it felt like his wrists would fall apart. At least until two giant arms wrapped around his entire body.

"Oh Alric Whitewood!" A voice cried out, a voice done by none other than Major Armstrong. The black haired Alchemist's emerald eyes nearly popped out of his skull as the Major yanked him from and embraced him in the tightest hug he ever felt.

"Major Armstrong?!" Lysandra cried in shock.

"I have heard the news!" Major Armstrong weeped as he swung the helpless Alric around "How terrible it is indeed! Let this warm embrace that has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations comfort you and your troubles!"

"I can't...help" Alric managed to square out of his throat. He gasped for air once Armstrong set him down and proceeded to give Lysandra an equally memorable hug.

"So, I see you told him..." Alric muttered in disappointment, creeping up towards the two guilty military officers.

"Can you blame us?" Brosh responded anxiously

"He can be very intimidating at times" Ross explained.

"I wouldn't call it intimidating..." Alric trailed off as he watched Armstrong squeeze the life out of his sister.

"What brings you here Major Armstrong?" Lysandra wheezed as the cuddly Major set her down "Looking for Ed and Al?"

Armstrong nodded "I've been informed that the Elric brothers are in their room"

"We're sure they are" Lysandra responded.

So, with a harsh knock upon the door, Armstrong began to call the elusive brothers out "Elric brothers, I know you're in there, open it up, this is the Major"

A few harsh whispers and cries escaped the room, causing the motivated Major to rap harder and harder upon the door, as though the harsh sound would shake the two brothers out of their depression and cause them to swing the door right pen. The Major continued his heavy knocking, rapping until the door vibrated with frustration. At least until Armstrong yanked the door handle and ripped it apart. Quite literally.

The Elric brothers screamed and shouted in shock as a giant hand rammed into their room, followed by the glimmering sparkles that came from none other than Alex Louis Armstrong himself. Alric carefully peered in with shock written across his face as Lysandra stood cluelessly in place.

"I know what it said Edward Elric. How tragic!" Armstrong cried over his terrified screaming "To think that the legend of the Philosopher's Stone was built upon such a terrible secret!"

Edward angrily crept up to the suspicious military officers with a glare written all across his face. Ross and Brosh backed up in defense, as though Edward was about to bite their heads off

"We're really sorry…"Lieutenant Ross held up her hands in defense.

"It's hard to stay quiet when someone like him ask you" Sergeant Brosh anxiously responded.

"Imagine the military being behind something like that! Often the truth is more cruel than we bargain for!" Armstrong dramatically weeped.

Edward's eyes widened.

"The truth?" He trailed off, letting that particular word simmer in his mind.

"What is it, brother?" Alphonse asked, raising himself off the floor.

"Do you remember what Doctor Marcoh said at the station?" Edward said

"I think it was about finding the truth hidden within the truth…" Alric trailed off in thought "What are you getting at?"

"I didn't have a clue what he was talking about then, but now. It's the same with alchemical notes. What you can see on the surface is only a portion of the truth" Edward explained "There's still more to find here. There has to be"

It wasn't long before the Major spread out a map across the coffee table, revealing all of Central city. Edward let his strained eyes wander curiously around, attempting to find any shred of 'the truth'.

"Currently there are four operational laboratory in Central that has connection to the government. We can narrow down even further. Marcoh worked in the third laboratory," Armstrong pointed to said laboratory "We should start with that one, it's the most suspected"

"Hmm. Al and I have been to all the laboratories in the city. None were doing any remarkable research," Edward explained. His face soon turned to utter curiosity as he laid his eyes upon a particular building "Here! What's this building used for?"

Ross pointed to the mysterious building "It was designed for the fifth laboratory, but it isn't currently in use. The building isn't structurally sound so it's been classified off-limit"

"It's there" Edward sternly replied with confidence.

"Huh?" Brosh blinked in surprise "How can you be so sure that's it?"

"There's a prison right next door" Edward explained

"Okay? So?"

"Oh, I see now," Alric grinned in realization "Sacrifices, or souls are required to make a stone. That's easy if there's a prison near. Not many will care if there's a few prisoners missing here and there"

"And the ingredient for the Philosopher's stone is?" Lysandra trailed off

"It needed live humans...Ugh…" The Sergeant mumbled in disgust

"There'll be plenty of condemned criminals in the prison," Edward sighed "Officially, they would be recorded as executed"

"They're using the prisoners to make the stone…" Ross's muttered in utter shock.

"Don't look at me like that, I don't like talking about this anymore than you" Edward raised his hands in defense.

"Prisons from other jurisdiction could be used too. I wonder if the government is involved" Alphonse thought aloud.

"I wouldn't be surprised if the prisons are being used to power such a thing" Lysandra bluntly replied.

"This is getting quite interesting…" Alric trailed off "Who knew the government could be involved in sacrificing human lives like this?"

"Why do I get the feeling that we're getting involved in something really dangerous here?"Ross anxiously trailed off

"That's why we told you to pretend like you never heard anything!" Alphonse warned. With a deep sigh, Armstrong rolled up the map and stuffed it beside his body

"This has a potential of becoming a political nightmare before long. I'll look into what we've talked about tonight. In the meantime, officers, speak of this to no one" Major Armstrong commanded.

"Sir!" The Lieutenant and Sergeant swiftly responded, replying with a firm salute

"And you, Elric brothers, Whitewood siblings, behave yourself!" Armstrong harshly demanded, pointing his accusing finger towards them "I know you four, you were thinking about sneaking into this building and taking a look around, weren't you? Admit it!"

"We weren't thinking about that!" The Whitewood siblings held up their hands in defense.

"We won't, we won't, we promise!" The Elric brothers cried out.

They broke their promise faster than Major Armstrong could rip off his uniform.

* * *

 **Thank you Guest, roseeyes, and Mr. Clean for your reviews!**

 **Guest : I'm glad that you enjoyed the chapter. I hope you'll ****still be with me as this story progresses**

 **roseeyes : Alric and Lysandra were bound to expose their past somehow, so it just seemed like the right time and place for them (not to mention Alric needed trust somehow). It will be pretty interesting when he meets Izumi (I already have a couple senario rolling around my head of how that will play out. You'll just have to wait and see which one I pick)**

 **Mr. Clean : It's really nice to know that you think my fic is really good, it's nice to hear that! I'm glad you saw the time and effort that I put in to make Alric and Lysandra mold into the world of FMA as best as I could, as well as give them different and unique personalities that contrast with the Elric's reasonably enough. (And as a side note...yeah, Alric can get scary at times...well, most of the time).**

 **Whew! This was a pretty long chapter, the longest I've written so far (I didn't know I could get through 9,500 words in a week! I get through less than half of that!). So, the Elric brothers finally know what makes a Philospher's stone...a Philosepher's stone, Alric is basically done with the Elric's attitude, and Lysandra is stuck in the middle of it all. The 5th laboratory is going to be interesting, to say in the least.**

 **Since this chapter took so long...I'm sort of behind on writing. In combination of school (this semester basically hit me like a truck...), pursing other hobbies (I've gotten addicXted to digital art), and the growing length of future chapters (I try to fit an episode in each chapter so I won't drag on the plot too much). I need sometime to catch up on chapters. I'm going to take about 2 or 3 weeks off from updating, depending on how my workload is and other things to that affect. I'll always update on a Friday, so I can make that part a little more structured. Sorry if this causes any inconveniences.**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	11. Not Human

_|Chapter 11: Not Human|_

* * *

Broken promises were nearly a norm for the Elric brothers. And perhaps the Whitewood siblings. So, when they escaped their hotel room right as night grew heavily over the city, not a bit of guilt sat within their stomachs. They made a mission, anyhow.

Anticipation grew over the black haired teen. His once tired, impatient deminor brimmed high with curiosity, ready to explore the secret of the so called closed laboratory. Using the Philosopher's stone on prisoners intrigued him, in the very least. Although it wasn't quite proven that that was the case, it was enough for him to call off he little visit to Dr. Marcoh and drag himself and his sister out of their own hotel room. For now, in the very least.

Hope brought a smile to his face. Perhaps the fifth laboratory had what he was looking for. An actual Philosopher's Stone.

So, motivated by pure curiosity, Alric stood patiently by the building's thick, high wall as Edward carefully scanned the darkened area for guards.

The golden haired Alchemist narrowed his eyes as he glanced over a soldier, fitted with an unusually hefty gun. That was an instant red flag to him "Hmm, a guard posted at an unused building. Interesting"

"Unless the military is expecting a jailbreak, that's pretty suspicious" Alric mumbled as he lead his eyes to the said guard.

"How do we get in?" Alphonse asked.

Edward carefully drew his eyes away from the heavily armored guard and laid his hand upon the wall "We could make our own entrance"

"They'll notice the light from the transmutic reaction" Alphonse pointed out, causing the golden state alchemist to sigh. At least until he lead his careful eyes up the wall, that is.

"Well, in that case..." Edward trailed off, pointing up to the stringy barbed wire. Although it was lightly rusted (as opposed to Alric's still heavily rusted automail arms), it was still thick enough to plant an idea into his head. It didn't take much longer for Alric and Alphonse to catch on to his plan.

"What happened?" Lysandra asked, deprived to the sight needed to actually 'catch on'.

"See, above this wall is barbed wire. Alphonse is going to throw Edward up to the top so he can unravel the wire so we can climb up" Alric explained.

"Ah"

With a grin of satisfaction, Edward climbed into the hands of his hefty brother.

"And...UP!" Alphonse called out as he heaved his small brother into the air. Edward quickly caught onto the fresh edge of the wall and silently grunted himself up. With one more careful peek towards the oblivious guard, he began to unwind the wire.

"Here," Alric lowered himself to a squat and grabbed his sister's hand "climb on my back. I wouldn't want you to fall or get caught in the wire when you make it up to the top"

"Alright" Lysandra swiftly agreed, letting Alric pull her body closer to himself. Without hesitation, the black haired girl plopped herself onto the back of her brother, clinging onto his body for what seemed like for dear life. In what felt like a snap of Alric's new fingers, the black haired alchemist heaved his sister over the wall and dropped into the laboratory's yard. It wasn't much longer until they spotted yet another guard, equally and dangerously armed.

"They are not taking any chances, are they?" Edward commented, carefully eying the guard.

"Come on," Alric pried his sister off his back and gently took her hand "Let's go"

Lysandra nodded.

The four quickly shuffled out of harm's way to the side of the giant facility, revealing nothing but a couple of boxes and even more dying grass, thirsting for water. The small State Alchemist however eyed something far more helpful. Something only he could use. Or, at least he thought. So, with a tap of Alphonse's thick body, the Elric brothers directed their attention to a small hanging air duct.

"Al, you need to wait here" Edward commanded as he pried the cover from the air vent.

"Wait, you're going alone?" Alric widened his emerald gin eyes in surprise.

"Of course. I'm the only one who can fit in here" Edward pointed out.

Alric sighed as the stark reality set within him. He was too tall to squeeze his shoulders into the vent and his giant hips. Suggesting Alphonse was almost laughable. Lysandra however...although she was far taller than the shrimp of a State Alchemist, she wasn't exactly the most curvy girl in the world, nor that busty. In fact, he was positive he had more meat around his waist than his younger sister (which made Alric blush internally in embersassent). However, it brought a grin of realization to his lips.

Lysandra stepped up and raised his hand high, even if the said vent was far out the reach out of her dark eyes "I'll go"

"I said I'm the only one who's gonna fit in here!" Edward exclaimed as he angrily pumped his fist into the air.

"I think Lysandra could fit, brother," Alphonse thought, switching his sight from the vent to the black haired girl "She's about your size"

"My sister might be a bit taller, but she'll have no trouble crawling through the vent," Alric shrugged "She's coming with you"

"Are you...sure?" Edward asked, letting doubt and worry fill his voice. Although and extra hand sounded rather helpful, it came with a steep price. And that price was hidden within the blank, glazed eyes of the girl herself.

Lysandra sighed "I might be blind, but I'm not useless. I can help, and I won't get in your way"

"Ok" Edward swiftly nodded.

"You have your whistle, right?" Alric quietly asked.

"Yeah, right here" Lysandra pat the pocket of her jacket confidently.

"And a knife? Or a weapon?" He pressed.

"Of course"

"You have a couple of pre-drawn transmutation circles for healing at the ready?"

"Alric, I'm good!" Lysandra exclaimed with a small smile "I'll be fine. If I'm not, we'll deal with it"

"Alright, good luck" Alric hesitantly nodded, letting his sister slip out of his hands.

"You two are fine on your own?" Alphonse asked in worry.

"Whether were fine on our own or not isn't the issue. You're too big to get through here" Edward bluntly pointed out.

"It's not like I asked to get this big..." Alphonse cried out, dying a little within his giant suit of armor.

Alric watched anxiously as Alphonse lifted her up to the vent and let her crawl into the darkness. He continued to stare until his sister was nothing more than a figment of his imagination.

"Well," the Reaping Alchemist plopped himself right next to Alphonse "now we wait"

As the two disjointed brothers patiently stared into the darkness, Edward and Lysandra crawled and pulled themselves through the tiny, thin vent. Although there was little knee and elbow room, the two inched themselves through the duct with some sort of ease. Not much, however.

"Damn, it's even tighter in here than I thought..." Edward mumbled.

"Even I thought it wasn't going to be this small" Lysandra groaned, heaving herself to what she hoped was the right direction. Her hands clawed the edge of the vent, letting her elbows and shoulders bang against the thin wall of metal. She felt like a little crampt turtle stuffed into a closet with an endless tunnel. Or perhaps a trunk. Either way, it was uncomfortable for the black haired teen.

"I couldn't get through this far if I was regular-sized. Lucky I've got a small body..." Edward thought aloud. His golden eyes widened however as he realized his fatal mistake. It was a mistake that stopped him dead in his tracks, as though a ghost appeared right before his eyes. It was a mistake that he would never live down.

"OH NO!" The short alchemist exclaimed "I'VE JUST CALLED MYSELF A TINY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK!"

"Shut up!" Lysandra snapped angrily as she clamped her hands right over her ringing, tender ears "You're too loud! Now I'm lost!"

"We're in a vent..." Edward pointed out "I'm sure they only go one way"

"That's not what i-" Suddenly, Lysandra released a quick, loud sigh in utter disappointment. With a frustrated growl, she shoved her hand into her pocket and jammed her whistle into her mouth. A light, shrill sound escaped the little silver device, leaving only silence in its wake. A silence that even Edward refused to interrupt.

Satisfied, she drew the whistle from her mouth "I hear an exit for us, a grate probably. It's in about...20 steps?"

Edward blinked in surprise "You can tell just from the sound?"

"Sort of. I just hear the echo. The whistle just helps me focus on the echoes it produces" Lysandra explained.

"That's amazing" Edward replied, letting the shock settle in.

Lysandra let her blank eyes soften in surprise "Oh. Thank you"

It was only moments later Edward popped the vent grate off and revealed a generously sized hole to climb out of. He carefully poked his head out of he vent, and glanced around a dimly lit grey hallway, in need of a splash of light. Or perhaps life. With no sign of life, Edward hopped out of the vent, only to let Lysandra land right behind him only seconds later. In an instant, she quickly wave her hands around until she grabbed a fistful of Edward's red coat to lead the way. Although Edward widened his golden eyes in surprise at first, the realization of her real purpose settled his heart.

Edward scoffed as he glanced suspiciously across the dim lights that protruded from the floor "There're lights on. 'Not currently in use', who are they trying to fool? This is it, alright"

"I think we're safe, for now. I'm not hearing any voices or real noises, other than the pipes rattling. Or, I think it's the pipes" Lysandra commented.

"That's good" the golden haired alchemist replied.

"What does this place look like anyhow?" Lysandra asked curiously "It feels cold, and smells sort of musty, like it's been left to rot. It doesn't feel clean..."

A tear of anxious sweat ran down the young State Alchemist's face, causing him to snap his head as far as he could from the black haired girl, even if she couldn't see it. Descriptions weren't exactly his strong suit, let alone of places. He a

Simply saw, came, and conquered, and never thought about how it really looked. Unless it was important, of course. A grey, endless hallway however, was the opposite of that.

"Well...er..." Edward cleared his throat "It's dark"

"That's obvious," She scoffed "Even I know that. We're inside an supposably abandoned building at night. Try again"

"We're in a hallway. It's grey?" Edward said, questioning even his own sight.

"Is it long?"

"Kinda?"

"What's 'kinda' supposed to mean?"

"That the hallway is kinda long"

"So does that mean it's long?"

"...kinda?"

Within seconds, Lysandra released a deep, tired grown from the depths of her lungs, as though it was sitting there for hours "Forget it. Just keep on moving"

Edward sighed in utter relief.

It seemed only steps later the hallway ended, splitting into two separate directions that stretched on endlessly into the darkness. Edward froze in place and quickly glanced at the two equally mysterious, letting their cold darkness sit around his body like some kind of blanket. Except this particular blanket wasn't warm nor inviting.

"The hallway splits," Edward commented "I say we go right"

"Then this is where we part" Lysandra said as she dropped Edward's thick coat, letting it scrape across the ground once more "I'm going left"

"You sure?" Edward asked,,raising his brow suspiciously.

She nodded "We should try to cover more ground. I can get around by myself"

Although rather reluctant, Edward nodded and let the blind, black haired girl stumble to the wall, with her whistle firmly within her mouth. He heard the shrill sound escape her little device, causing her movement to become more fluid as she let the wall and sound guide her down. Satisfied, Edward finally turned and began his trek down the right side of the hallway.

It was safe to say the two didn't know what they were about to face.

As the two smaller siblings explored and crawled all over the fifth laboratory like hungry little ants, Alphonse and Alric perched themselves outside, letting the night bathe them in darkness. Not a word was shared in between the two broken souls, but instead let the worry of their siblings control fill their mind.

"Ed's taking a long time…"Alphonse mumbled.

"Lysandra is too…" Alric trailed off, glancing around

"Yeah...Lysandra too…" Alphonse repeated.

Alric couldn't help but raise his eyebrow, as Alphone's soft, gentle voice peaked his curiosity. It was like the mere sound of his sister's name caused the hard suit of armor to soften into old memories that Alphonse and Lysandra didn't quite possess. Alphonse's voice lingered, as though he actually knew her like Alric knew her.

It was like they knew each other inside and out from just a few conversations here and there.

He released a chuckle, causing the curious Alphone's to lift his head up "Is something wrong?"

"No, no, nothing's wrong," Alric replied, hiding his warm grin safely under his metallic hand "I've seen you've taken quite a liking to Lysandra. My sister"

"I-I guess" Alphonse anxiously shrugged, letting his empty armor fill with nervous "Ever since Scar attacked us, we've been talking to pass the time. You and brother were always out or cooped up in the house because of Granny, and I could only move with the help of Major Armstrong, so Lysandra kept me company"

"That's good, I suppose," Alric shrugged. With a loud yawn, he attached his arms firmly behind his back, causing them to angrily screech in response "She doesn't have many people to talk to. A few new faces such as you and your brother could do her some good. Just...don't give her any wrong ideas"

Alphonse paused in utter confusion, letting them odd comment brew in his mind "...What do you mean?"

He sighed, and drew his eyes to the glittering stars within the night sky "She's a good person, but she's naive. Anyone who gives her a shred of kindness will earn her trust. As as well as an influence to her thoughts. I would hate to see her in danger from any of the ideas you and your brother put in her"

"All we did was help her…" Alphonse weakly trailed off.

"I know. But it has its consequences"

And so an uncomfortable silence sat between the two teens, like a thick, wet blanket that failed to dry even in the hottest of heats. Alphonse didn't know what to make of the black haired State Alchemist. He understood that Alric was concerned about his sister, that was clear enough. However...the way he spelled out his concerns left a bitter taste in Alphonse's mouth (if he had one, in the very least). It was a threat. A very deadly threat.

Yet...it didn't bother him. They were only ideas. At least he had someone to share them with other than Edward.

"Anyhow…" Alric quickly changed the subject, as though he forgot his words "I'm just hoping they didn't run into too much trouble"

"Brother always seems to find trouble," Alphonse sighed "I think it follows him"

That's certainly didn't quell Alric's racing mind. Worry and concern continued to eat at his brain, like a parasite searching for control of its host. Their were at least a thousand things that could happen to his sister, not mention she was, well frankly blind.

So, without another word, he jumped up to his feet and carefully adjusted his coat "I'm going to check in them. Wait here while I'll find an entrance"

"No, wait!" Alphonse explained. His body creaked and squealed with fury as he stood up "I'm coming with you"

"No," Alric snapped back "We still need a look out. You're our best bet if something goes wrong. You can't die as easily as the rest of us"

"I'm coming!" Alphonse exclaimed, letting anger and frustration fill his voice "I'm not letting you do this alone whether you like it or not. I need to know if Ed's alright"

"I'll check on him, after I get Lysandra!" Alric yelled.

"How would I know you know he's safe at all?!"

"You'll have to trust me!"

"But I don't trust you!"

"Ah, so this is where the noise is coming from"

A loud, yet soft voice rang through the night air, slicing the fire between the two concerned brothers like a hot knife to butter. In seconds, Alric and Alphonse snapped their heads up, revealing only a wispy silhouette that lined the roof of the building. Although it seemed rather short and stumpy, some of its hair licked through the cold wind.

At least until it jumped off.

Like a heavy anvil, the silhouette slowly became a shiny, metal object. Alric's eyes widened as its two giant meat cleavers came into his view, causing him to roll right across the laboratory yard, saving his frail neck. Alphonse immediately jumped as the metal object came crashing down, revealing its appearance.

Its armor.

The mysterious man lifted up his head, exposing its skull like helmet and his thick, raggedy hair "You move pretty well for your size. If you didn't though, it wouldn't be worth the effort to cut you down. Although the one without any armor looks equally interesting"

Alphonse went into a fighting stance, holding his arm close to his body "Who are you?"

"I'm number 66," He introduced "Well, that's the name they gave me when I came to work here anyway. I'm going to cut you both up nice and neat. All you have to do is sit back and scream!"

Number 66 lunged at his favorite toy. The one with visible skin and bones.

* * *

Lysandra was getting nowhere.

Regret panged at her heart as she dragged herself further and further down the seemingly endless hallway. She knew she shouldn't have been so quick to pry herself from the little alchemist, no matter how much she wanted to explore to her heart's desire. She couldn't see a damn thing even if she prayed at hope, and the sound of her shrieking whistle only lead her to believe that she still had a ways to go before she actually ran into something. But, there wasn't much she could do about it.

So, with a rough sigh that rumbled out from her tired lungs, she pulled herself along the cold, concrete wall. At least until a particular echo rang through her ears.

Her ears immediately perked up to the inviting sound. Although it was quite far away, it still brought a grin of relief to the black haired teen. Motivated, she yanked herself across the wall, violently pulling herself across (without a few stumbles and trips, of course), until she bounced into the wall into the end of the hallway. Or, at least she hoped it wasn't just a wall.

"Now, let's see if you have a door..." Lysandra mumbled as she trailed her hands across the cold wall. It's rough, flaky texture clung onto her fingertips, causing it to chip off at the mere touch of her hands. Even with this inconvenience, she she continued to spread her hands across until her hand banged into an object that was far cooler than anything she felt before. Like a door knob.

"Huh..." Her white glazed eyes flickered in surprised as the door opened with little effort, opening yet another area for the black haired girl to explore. She let the door screech open until the door knob finally banged against the wall, causing her to proceed into the new dark abyss. Or rather, descend. She nearly squealed in shock as her foot slammed further below, causing her to nearly trip and fall into the staircase. However, with much effort an a slam of her body into the wall, she regained her balance.

Lysandra groaned in annoyance "Don't tell me I'm going to get hurt just from stairs today..."

With a fresh, dull ache within her shoulder and knee, she proceeded to cautiously descended the staircase. Each step seemed like a giant leapt into nothingness, only making the air colder and colder upon her warm skin. The feeling however made her spine shiver with anticipation. Although she couldn't quite see what she was looking at, she could feel it. This particular feeling clung onto her like a lost child until she stepped down the last little step, letting her explore into across the nothingness of her sight. Only a whistle to guide her, she ditched the wall and slowly stumbled into the new, cold room.

The musty smell filled her nose, as though someone left an animal pelt to rot within a bucket of defiantly not drinkable water. She couldn't help but wrinkled her nose in disgust the further she entered the mysterious room, causing the unholy smell to intensify. Attempting to drown out the not so pleasant scent, she focused upon the slight echoes within the room. Glass rang loudly out to her like a bell from a church. Metal echoed back like a dull vibration. Stone only clicked against her shoes. A few thoughts of what the room could have been went through her mind, yet only one was right.

The horrid scent was soon just a memory, however, as a new scent filled her nose. Chemicals.

What sound and smell couldn't tell her was too much for the black haired girl. She couldn't hear the dead animals stuffed within water fills tubes. She couldn't smell the books upon books stacked and flung open upon a table, some of their pages spotted with crusty blood. She couldn't see what the place really was, but she could guess.

An experimentation room.

"Ly...sandra?"

Her empty eyes widened in shock. In an instant, she flung herself towards the source of the noise and froze, as though she was completely invisible to the world.

That voice. She knew it wasn't from Edward, or Alphonse. She knew it wasn't even from her own brother. It was a soft, yet empty voice she thought she had forgotten long ago, like a memory she desperately didn't want to dig up again. Yet, like a grave robber searching for bones to sell, the memory of the voice was uncovered. Only one, cruel man had that voice.

And he was long dead.

"Who are you?" Lysandra continuously asked, attempting to inject confidence in her voice. Yet, when it all spilled out from her mouth, nothing but terror filled her.

"I didn't realize you and your brother were apart of all of this," the voice curiously tilted his head, ignoring her question "I thought they would have informed me, considering our past connection"

"You haven't answered my question..." Lysandra grumbled, snatching the whistle from her mouth and frantically stuffing it into her pocket. The voice's circling steps stopped, causing a chill to rundown her sound once more.

"Well, I think you know the answer to that, Lysandra," The voice, or rather the very alive Mr. Tucker replied in a lifeless tone.

Her blank eyes widened in utter shock. It was enough to make her arms curl up to her body, as though she was afraid the very alive Mr. Tucker would go out and stab her to his heart's content. Or make her a monster like he did to his daughter.

"But...how?" Lysandra managed to gasp out "You we sent to a firing squad…My brother saw your obituary in the paper...You should be dead…"

"Those are such trivial things, things you and I could make up in an instant," Mr. Tucker responded "As you can see, I'm very much alive-Wait, you're still as blind as ever, aren't you? That's why you're unable to believe. Then I suppose you'll have to feel to believe"

Without as so much as another word, he began his slow trek towards the frazzled and frightened black haired girl. A gasp escaped her throat as his cruel footsteps trailed closer and closer to her, as though they were signaling her death. She backed up until she finally slammed into a wall, preventing her own safe escape. All she could do was shutter and dig her hands into the wall as the great terror that was Mr. Tucker towered over her.

"Please, don't be afraid," Mr. Tucker replied in his cruelty soft time as he picked up Lysandra's small hand.

The light touch hit her like a pile of bricks. Unable to fight back, or even move, she let it all happen. The fear she once felt simply over and changed to utter confusion. She squinted as she felt...fur? She squeezed upon the mysterious hand, letting her fingers dig into the clammy, stringy fur attached to the so called hand. She squeezed upon a rubbery paw, as though it just rubber glued onto a hand. It's warmness however, was all too real.

Then she felt his face. His evil, warm face.

It was all wrong, where his mouth should have been was all smooth and clean. Where his forehead should have been had a tight, jagged mouth. His ears were long, pointed and floppy, only to be later in the mysterious layer of fur.

"What the hell…" Lysandra quietly mumbled under her voice. Although her hand went limp, Mr. Tucker continued to trail her delicate hand across his face and neck.

"Can't you feel it?" Mr. Tucker said with a wide, twisted smile Lysandra could practically feel pierce her skin "I've never been more alive. I've never felt more alive. I'm finally complete. All it took was a few experiments"

She jerked her hand away from his grasp and held her tainted hand close to her body. Without another word, she rolled across the wall until she finally stumbled into the comforting, cold air "What are you?"

"What I've always wanted to be. A Chimera"

Lysandra violently shook her head "No...your supposed to be dead for what you did to Nina...your own damn daughter"

A tired sigh went through the air "I suppose I couldn't expect you to understand, not after Alric threatened my life. He told me loud and clear that he won't see things clearly. A weak threat nonetheless"

"It wasn't weak!" Lysandra snapped back "Brother would go with his threat anytime! I'm sure he would have killed your right then and there if it didn't cause him trouble. You can't get out of your delusion that you can justify every evil thing you do?"

"Evil you say? Do you really want to go there?" Mr. Tucker hissed back, letting them false softness drained from his voice "Then tell me, are you evil because you played around with your little brother's life?"

"No, I-"

"Are you evil because you brought your older brother back with only his torso to spare?" Mr. Tucker cut through her words like butter "Are you evil because you did the went against rules and taboos to get what you wanted?"

"No…I'm not!" Lysandra yelled, although it escaped her mouth like a squeak "I'm not evil! I'm not a devil! I just wanted to do what was right! I wanted to fix my family!"

"Was is really right to bring someone back from the dead who wanted to stay dead? How could you judge me when your own judgement is skewed? Please, don't make me laugh. You did it for yourself. You did it to see what would happen. You did it, because you could!"

"I'M NOT A DEVIL CHILD!"

Lysandra couldn't take it anymore. It was like he mind snapped like a twig. Without another word, she unfurled her hands from her chest and whipped out her thick knife. With a scream loud enough to shatter an ear drum, she charged straight at the smug Sewing-Life Alchemist.

The first thing her knife dug into was his cruel paw.

* * *

Number 66 swallowed more than he could chew.

That was his first thought as a giant metal fist slammed straight into his face. Although his current body was unable to produce pain, let alone a feeling, the shock of the punch was enough to send him screaming all the way to the ground, where he rolled and tumbled like the tin can he was.

Alphonse immediately retracted his deadly fist from Number 66's curious face as the giant suit or armor jumped back onto his feet as though not a single thing was wrong. Instead, he drew his meat cleavers from the ground once more and charged the fleshy piece of meat that was Alric.

Alric quickly slammed his hands together and stabbed his palms into the ground, causing the grass to spurt up in seconds. Like a forest, the blades grew high up into the sky as red lightning danced around it's shiny surface. Satisfied, the black haired alchemist made a break for it.

"Damn it! Your getting in the way you big bucket of bolts!" Number 66 yelled as he sliced his cleaver through the thick, bushy grass "Why can't you sit still for a second and let me cut up the girly man!"

"Girly man!?" Alric exclaimed. He sent a wavering glare to Alphonse, who continuously and safely avoided his burning eyes.

"Of course!" Number 66 lunged his cleaver right into Alric's fleshy stomach, missing it by inches as Alric flipped across the ground and safely out of the way "Look at your hair! Your figure! You'll definitely be a good substitute for the ladies I most favor cutting up!"

"Er..."The black haired alchemist couldn't help but blush in embarrassment and cringe at his choice words at the same time.

Unfortunately for Number 66, his focus was perhaps a bit too much towards the feminine figured teen, and not towards his real enemy at the moment. The other suit of armor.

Alphonse planted his foot right into the bloodthirsty man's back, causing his body to ring out like a bell. In an instant, Number 66 was sent flying to the ground once more, letting his helmet fling off his body and roll across the ground like a rock. Like a pile of bricks, Number 66's body went dead. At least until Alphonse peered into the empty abyss that was the suit of armor.

Although Alphonse couldn't quite squint, nor really blink for that matter, his red eyes lit up in confusion as he laid his eyes upon the blankness inside Number 66 suit of armor "Huh?"

"What's wrong?" Alric raised his brow, claiming his hands clean from the mud he dug his palms into. His question was soon answered as Number 66 suddenly plucked himself from the ground and frantically stumbled to his helmet like a child running to a ball. Or rather, his head.

Alric's emerald eyes flickered open in shock as Number 66 grabbed his armor from the mud, revealing his utterly empty armor. Instead of a person, there was nothing but darkness.

"You _are_ empty!" Alphonse exclaimed.

"There's a bit of a story behind that," Number 66 twisted his head back onto his body, causing his eyes to dangerously glow "Would you like to hear? It's a pretty good one. You are probably already know it though. It all started with a man who loved his craft"

"Get to the point" Alric demanded, curling his good, new fist.

"You're a feisty one, aren't you? You'll have to listen to my little story," Number 66 replied "Once upon a time, right here in East City, there was a butcher, a man who loved his work. His favorite part was cutting up the meat into little, tiny pieces. But one day, this man found that cutting up beef and pork wasn't enough anymore. So he took to the street and began cutting up people instead, night after night. In time, of course, this man was caught after he made the fatal mistake of toying with his prey a bit too long, but not before twenty three victims had fallen prey to him and his knife"

"Naturally, after terrorizing East City for so long, this man was sent to the gallows for his wicked deeds. And the world was happily rid of another man. At least, that's what everyone out there believes. But our story isn't over yet. We haven't even reach the good part. This man isn't actually dead, you see. He's very much alive, and charged with guarding a certain place, only without his body," he proudly pointed his cleaver into the air, letting it glimmer against the bright moon "Yes, that's right! He's standing right in front of your very eye. I am the infamous serial killer, Barry the Chopper!"

Alric's eyes snapped wide open.

His sisters cried filled his head once more, like a sick little tune that was meant to put Number 66-no, Barry the Chopper soundly to sleep. Her tears dripped onto his skin once more, like a waterfall of salty tears Barry the Chopper loved to drink. His fist began to shake, shake like it never had before. Boiling anger singer shot through his nerves, shooting everywhere from his glaring, emerald eyes to his automail fists of fury. All the pain from that day, no, those days flooded back into him. How he wanted to kill all of that pain.

 _"I'm so scared...he...he touched me"_

All of that pain was simply stuffed up in one little suit of armor.

"What's wrong with the girly man?" Barry asked, curiously tilting his head, leading his eyes to the teen who revised to lift his head from the ground "Shouldn't he be going 'AAHHH', or 'What happened to your body?', or something?"

"You see..." Alphonse trailed off as he put his fingers on his head. He was swiftly cut off however by a blood thirsty voice.

"Shut up," Alric hissed, lifting his eyes from the ground. The eyes of a killer "I have a question for you"

"Hm?" Barry the Chopper twisted his head in curiosity "What is it?"

"The last girl you tried to brutally murder...what did you do to her?" He growled.

"Oh, well let's see..." Barry lifted his hands to the bottom of his helmet, as though he was scratching his chin "I played with her like any piece of meat I come across. Her lack of sight certainly didn't stop her from screaming her lungs out, like any other woman. Perhaps she cried out more. It's a shame that I didn't get to cut her up"

"Ok," Alric said calmly "That's all I needed to know"

Without so much as another word, his legs began to carry him towards the oblivious brutal murderer, as though they were controlled on their own. However, his fists still shook with fury, and his eyebrows practically dug into his skin. Not even an idiot needed to know what was brewing deep within Alric, ready to burst out. He was ready to kill.

"Oh, I remember now!" Barry the Chopper exclaimed in realization "Your the one who wrapped my up in all of those annoying vines! Was the girl your girlfriend or something?"

"Does it matter?" The Reaping Alchemist asked "I don't want to waste anymore time on you. You'll be too dead soon anyhow"

Alphonse's little red eyes snapped open, as an audible gasp escaped his suit of armor. Before Alric could take another step, Alphonse latched onto the blood thirty state Alchemist arm.

"Wait! You can't kill him!" Alphonse protested as he violently pulled upon his arm. Alric however slammed his feet into the thick mud, struggling against his iron grip.

"Let me go Alphonse..." Alric growled. He didn't bother to turn back to the pleading suit of armor, but rather kept his hungry eyes fixated upon the cruel suit of armor that stared back at him dumbfounded. Like not a single thing was wrong in his little world. It only made Alric want twist his body into scrap metal.

"I can't let you do this to yourself!" Alphonse yelled "I won't let you kill another person! You can't make that mistake!"

"Let go of me in five seconds or your going to lose that hand" Suddenly Alric snapped his head right at Alphonse, causing the young teen to shutter in response. He saw his eyes, eyes that he hoped he would never see anytime soon. They were eyes only Colonel Mustang spoke about, yet never dawned in front of them.

The eyes of a killer.

"No matter," Barry the Chopper simply shrugged, as though Alric's boiling and deadly anger was that of a 4 year old holding a tantrum "Since I didn't get to cut up that girl of yours, you'll have to make due!"

With a laugh audible enough to ring out through the fifth laboratory, Barry the Chopper charged the very stuck black haired teen, firmly held down by the suit of armor tight grip. Everything simply fell into place for him. Or, at least Barry thought.

Right as Barry lunged into the black haired teen, Alric planted his shoe right into Barry's hard, scratched chest and bounced off of gim like a heavy springboard. Alphonse gasped as Alric slipped right out of his tight grip, letting the careful teen latch onto his head and yank it right from his body. Without as so much as a sound, he flipped right over the frazzled suit of armor and skidded across the ground, Alphonse's head tight within his arms.

"M-my head!" Alphonse cried out, causing his hands to frantically crawl around the empty space where his needed helmet should have been. Where his body should have been "Give it back!"

"Then get out of my damn way" the teen hissed.

Alric refused to move an inch, but rather let his deadly, narrowed eyes fixate upon the man-no-suit of armor that caused his sited so much trouble. The thought of scrapping his little blood seal right off of his clunky body caused his hands to squeeze tightly into Alphonse's helmet in anticipation. The force was enough to flatten the tips of his fingers and leave a small dent within the top of Alphonse's head.

"AAHHH!" Barry screamed, pointing his accusing finger towards the empty suit or armor "What happened to your body, freak?"

"Hey!" The young teen snapped his attention to Barry the Chopper "Now that's impolite"

"Oh, I see, now I remember you..." Barry thought aloud, ramming his clever into the dirt "You ruined my fun when I was still flesh and bones and helped me transfer into this new body. You're just like me"

"No way! I'm not a criminal!" He protested.

"Huh? Then what happened to you?"

"It's kind of a long story," Alphonse sighed "When I lost my body, my brother transmuted my soul and bonded it to this armor"

"Your brother?" Suddenly, a loud, deafening chuckle escaped Barry the Chopper "Of course! Your brother!"

"What's so funny about it?" Alphonse demanded.

"Are you sure you and your brothers are related?"

"Well I guess we don't look that much alike anymore" Alphonse replied, glossing over his not so fleshy body.

"No, no, no," Barry the Chopper shook his head "That's not what I mean. Are you sure that you're not a puppet created and controlled by your so called brother? Were you ever even a real person to begin with?"

"How can you ask something like that? I was a real boy and my name was Alphonse Elric!" Alphonse proclaimed out loud,

"How can you be so sure of that?" Barry the Chopper asked, leaning casually upon his cleaver.

"I have memories. I remember who I was before"

"And who's to say those memories aren't made up?"

"But Winry and Granny...they know me!" Alphonse exclaimed. Although, it was at this time his confidence began to crack away from his voice.

"That's easy, they are in on it too" Barry shrugged.

"What about Alric? And...Lysandra! I just met her and she believes!"

"Exactly, you just met them. They're getting a taste of your fabricated past!" Barry pointed out cruelly "Silly boy! You were never alive to begin with! It's as simple as that!"

"Then how do you know you were really alive?" Alphonse accused "What if your memories were made up from the real Barry the Chopper?"

"I was, trust me"

Suddenly, a soldier popped out from the corner, a gun tight to his chest and at the ready "This area is off-limit! Don't move!"

His confidence and life was short lived as Barry yanked his cleaver out of the ground and whipped it right into the soldiers frail skull. Alphonse winced a sickening crack sliced through the air, escaping from the bloody and fallen soldier's head.

"There! Did you see that? There is nothing I love more than chopping live people. I can't control myself!" Barry proclaimed proudly as he ripped his cleaver from the soldier. With a light, cruel chuckle, he waved his deadly cleaver into the air, letting the warm, sticky blood upon it crawl down to his body "I kill, therefore I am! As long as I know that, it's all I need to prove to myself that I've always been me!"

"That's enough"

Alric's deep, threatening voice rang through the air, causing all eyes to turn to him. With only one mission in mind, he carelessly tossed Alphonse's head to the ground, causing its owner to scramble for it. He deeply clawed his hands, letting his automail squeak and scrape with pure fury. Barry the Chopper however, only shrugged, as though his anger was absolutely nothing to him. Which it was.

"Ah yes, I nearly forgot about you," Barry said in a rather bored tone "Can you save your hostility for later? I have something else that's far more invigorating right about now"

"No," Alric snapped back "Just die"

And so when he slammed his hands into the ground, thick, thorny vines shot out of the ground and raced towards Barry the Chopper.

* * *

"Your brother is that good, is he? Then I have to hurry up and defeat you so I can get around to taking care of him" The rather giant and empty suit of armor, also known as Number 48 to the golden haired alchemist, picked up his thin, yet deadly sword and sliced it through the air, letting blood violently splatter across the cold ground.

For a while, the snappy and perhaps over confident Edward thought he had this fight against the empty suit or armor in the bag. It was like fighting his younger brother, anyhow, just a bit more violent and life threatening. This was his logic until he felt one out of a few of his ribs snap and poke against his skin. So, it was only normal his confidence turned doubtful once Number 48 kicked him right in the chest and left him to rot within the last moment of his life.

Edward clung onto his chest, letting his pained groans fill the air. Although thick blood continued to kick down his face, and his lungs felt like they were on fire, a bit of hope still lingered in him. Even as he muffled his painful cries as he crawled back to his feet, the Fullmetal Alchemist was not ready to give up.

Suddenly, he snapped his head right over the approaching suit of armor "Go Al! Do it now!"

What happened next however, was certainly not in his plan.

"What?" Number 48 quickly snapped his body around, holding his deadly sword close to his body. Before he could see the real diversion (which consisted of a quick transmutation of Alphonse done by none other than the small State Alchemist), a large, sweeping force swept him right off his feet. A pair of strong, yet thin legs planted themselves right into the suit of armor's shoulder, causing Number 48 to fly to the ground, along with his loose helmet. Like a ball, his head flew clean off his shoulders and bounced across the ground, safety away from its deadly owner.

"What the hell..." Edward mumbled in absolute shock. He pair of sturdy legs soon lead their own out of the shadows of the laboratory's, revealing none other than the black haired teen. She panted rapidly, letting her trusty silver whistle sit against her lips. What caught the golden haired alchemists attention however was not her quick appearance, nor her large pants. Rather, it was the dark red blood that was crusted against her clothes and her own skin.

Although a few scratches framed her arms and face, those small wounds were not enough to produce the amount of blood dried upon her.

"I searched for you...as fast as I could..." Lysandra panted, resting her hands upon her knees "It's was hard...considering how big this place is...I'm just lucky I went down the right hallway...and found you...are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Edward quickly lied "What about you? Your covered in blood"

"Hm?" Lysandra blinked in surprise. Curious, she quickly ran her fingers across her clothes and face. Sure enough, her fingers twisted and clenched as they scraped against the dried, rough blood.

"I'll...tell you later..." She trailed off. Although her eyes weren't as expressive as expressive as they once were, it was clear to Edward that something was not right. With a mission in mind however, he quickly shrugged his suspicion out of mind

"That was dirty!"

Edward snapped his golden eyes towards the source of the whining sound, which consisted of a shaking helmet upon the ground.

The golden haired alchemist narrowed his eyes "There's no such thing as dirty in a fight!"

"...What's the matter? You still haven't destroy the blood seal I so kindly pointed out. You going to or not?" Number 48 demanded.

"Blood seal?" Lysandra asked "What did I just kick?"

"A hollow suit of armor with a soul attached. Just like Al," Edward explained as he casually crept towards the head of number 48. He plucked the lost and useless helmet right off the ground and hung it right in front of his face "There's something I need to ask you about"

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Number 48 asked.

"Yes," Edward nodded "Tell me everything you know about it"

"Sorry. Can't"

"Hey now. Tell me," Edward raised his brow with a slight grin, shaking the helmet of Number 48 enticingly "I did beat you at your own game"

His grin soon faded as a shrill chuckle escaped the helmet "That's where you're wrong. I'm not beaten yet"

And then so Number 48's body jumped up and jabbed its sword straight into Edward's side. The golden haired alchemist badly had any time to react as the sudden sword plunged near his stomach, sending blood to fly from his body. A groaned escaped his throat as the helmet fell from his grasp, letting it roll across the ground safe and sound from his own grasp.

"Impossible..." Edward mumbled in complete shock, holding his bleeding side. His shock continued as Number 48's equally empty body calmly picked itself off the ground and lifted its head back to its empty neck.

"Ed!" Lysandra cried out. With a shrill sound of her whistle, she frantically tracked down the hurt alchemist "What happened? Are you alright? Here, let me-"

Right as her hands hovered inches away from his bleeding cut, he lazily slapped her hand away, as thigh her touch would only irritate his wounds.

"Yeah, I'm fine" Edward snapped

"I forgot to tell you about this mass-murderer 'Slicer'," Number 48's helmet explained.

"His crime were really done by a pair of brothers" His body echoed out, like a lost voice.

"An independent head and body? That's a dirty trick!" Edward pointed his accusing finger towards the accusing, bodiless souls

"Now, now. Weren't you the one who said there's no such thing as 'dirty' in a fight?" His head echoed out curiously.

"Are you ready? Round 2 is about to begin, short-stuff!" Number 48's body exclaimed with excitement. It was enough to cause him to raise his sharpened, blood stained sword right in front of himself and his peering brother.

"Don't call me short!" Edward snarled, curling his little fist into a ball of frustration and rage. As he leapt to beat some sense (and information), out of the Slicer brothers, Lysandra raised her hand, causing the golden haired alchemist to trip right into her grip.

"Hey! What are-"

"You're in no condition to take another fight," Lysandra warned, raising her trusty whistle to her lips once more "Transmute me a sword or knife and let me"

"I said I was fine!" Edward harshly snapped back.

"No, your not!" Lysandra growled "I might be blind but I'm not an idiot. Your breathing has gotten heavier and your steps are loud and lazily. It's obvious"

He golden haired alchemist blinked in surprise. Even if he held his bleeding side, even if Lysandra's eyes were fixed right over his head, it was as though she could see every little detail of his cut. And all of his injuries

"Then heal me," Edward demanded.

"I don't think we have that kind of time," Lysandra whispered "I'll level with you, I don't know the full extent of your injuries since...you know...I can't see them. But, from what I do know, they sound intricate and bad. Alkahestry can heal up to a certain extent, but it won't heal everything. It's still prone in getting in your way. With that in mind, let me fight"

"But-"

"Let me fight," Lysandra interrupted, before she bent down closer to the golden haired alchemist "and you can think of a way to stop him. Or them.

Although reluctantly, Edward nodded. With a sigh, he clapped his hands and sent his palms straight into the ground, letting a curved, long sword form cleanly into the air. He snatched it from its place and carefully lead its hard handle right into Lysandra's fingers. She nodded safely before she snapped her new deadly sword out from her body and approached Number 48, head, body, and all.

"I see you're having some else do your dirty work boy," His head echoed curiously "Even with all of my hints, have I still made it too difficult for you?"

"You said you pointed out your blood seal," Lysandra said, cutting off Edward "Would you be so kind to tell me where it is?"

"Another handicap? I think not!" Number 48's body exclaimed, pointing his sword right towards her frail skull. And empty eyes.

"Now wait brother, there's something wrong with the girl's eyes..." The helmet trailed off, as though his empty, glowing eyes pierced into Lysandra's cloudy, unseeing eyes. When realization crossed over him, he realized a loud, booming pitiful laugh "Now I see. You're blind"

"Letting a blind girl fight for you?" The body chuckled "How desperate are you boy?"

Edward related a soft snarl as he pointed his narrowed eyes right towards the two Slicer brothers.

"I see you're underestimating me," Lysandra raised her brow, letting a uncharacteristic confident grin frame her face "That'll do"

Without another word, she firmly grasped her sharp sword and let her whistle run rampent through the air. She planted her foot firmly into the ground and took off, letting her deadly blade fly in front of her like a sail, guiding her to her metallic and loud target. She could hear the Slicer brother's armor creak and cringe clearly. She could hear the harsh wisp of their sword slice and cut through the air. She could hear their loud, obnoxious steps ring through her ears.

Right as Number 48's body replied with Lysandra charge with a low cut, she slammed into the ground and slipped cleanly under his legs, as though they were nothing more than a tunnel. She immediately slid back onto her feet and violently sliced her sword through the air, cutting through Slicer's thin strand of hair. His body immediately touched the back of his helmet, letting his hand catch onto a few loose strands.

The black haired girl quickly bend down to the ground and snapped her sword sideways in defense "You're much louder than a regular person. Your body squeaks more than my brother's limbs, which is a suprise. The more you move and fight back, the more I can judge where you are and what you'll do. I might be blind, but I can sure as hell fight"

"A simple cut won't stop us," His helmet replied.

Suddenly, he began to charge the blind girl "NOW DIE!"

As the Slicer Brothers and Lysandra fought, thoughts brewed within Edward's head. He knew no matter how well the black haired girl fought against the giant suit of armor, a simple sword wasn't going to slice through that armor, let alone even stop the two brothers. She couldn't know where those blood seals were even if they were described to her. So, it was only a matter of time until the brothers earned an upper hand.

Just like a certain Ishvalan.

Edward's golden eyes widened.

With deadly narrowed eyes, he clapped his hands with purpose and charged right at the giant, suit of armor. Edward growled as he slammed his hand right into the suit if at its back, causing a bright, red glow to emit from his body.

And so they exploded.

Right as Lysandra sliced her sword into Slicer brothers exposed chest, his body suddenly crumbled into pieces, letting a bright glow peak through and shine like an artificial sun. Her blank, white eyes widened as a shard of hot, curved metal banged against her sword, sending a violent vibration right through her bones. Shock continued to shape her face as caught her breath, not knowing the extent of damage.

"What...happened?" Lysandra furrowed her brows in utter confusion.

"Alchemy. They reminded me of someone I don't like," Edward said, kicking a lone shard of sickly twisted metal "And now I've done exactly as he did"

"How could you, you damn brats!" Number 48's body cried out. He raised his whole, intact fits into the air and began violent rock what was left of his body, as though he was about to grow in legs back and drive his sword into the boy's chest. Or the girl's. Any would have done fine.

"He's wriggling!" Edward cringed in fear "That's freaky!"

Realizing his defeat, Number 48's body let his hands go limp "Brother!"

The helmet sighed "As much as I hate to admit it, we lost..."

"Then you're not going to tell me you are really three brothers, aren't you?" The golden haired alchemist suspiciously asked as he carefully poked and prodded the armor's twisted, detached legs.

"No, no..." The body muttered.

"So, what do we do with them now?" Lysandra asked, planting the sword into the ground "Do we kill them?"

"Yes, you do," Number 48's head replied "Come on, you won. Hurry up and destroy us"

"No. I'm not a murderer" Edward narrowed his golden eyes.

"But they tried to kill us" Lysandra pointed out.

"I won't kill another person" the golden haired alchemist snapped back.

Number 48's helmet sighed "With bodies like these, are we really even people?"

"I consider you people whether you have physical bodies or not. If I didn't that would mean I didn't believe my own brother wasn't a person either," Edward explained "I know that my brother is a human being. That means you guys are human too. I will not take the life of another person. That's final"

"Ed..." Lysandra trailed off in shock. His sharp, yet firm words were certainly a new tune to her ears. Killing and death was apart of her life as much as Alric was. Wherever there were fights, death shortly came after, by none other than her brother's rusted hands. Death didn't bother as much until the Elric brothers came along. Now it seemed like a thing than made her knees go weak every time she heard the mere sound.

Yet...she didn't mind. In fact, it made life just a little more special to her.

"Brother?" The suit of armor rang out, cutting through Lysandra's thoughts.

"My brother and I have been lying, stealing, cheating and killing together for as long as we can remember. And now that we are in these pseudo bodies, we're being treated like humans for the first time. Don't you see the irony?" The helmet sighed once again, yet it echoed out much softer than before "For that, boy, I'll give you a parting gift. I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you who made the Philosopher Stone, and ordered us to guard this place"

His words were short lived however.

Even as it seemed the Elric brothers and the Whitewood siblings corresponding journeys were about to close to an end, a thick, black needle pierced through the heavy shadows and drove itself right into the helmet. Right into his blood seal.

As Number 48 groaned and muttered for death, a quite curvy and voluptuous woman stepped out from the darkness, exposing her unusually long and sharp fingers. A rather calm smile framed her sharp face, letting her plump lips stick out pleasantly. What caught Edward's attention was not her freaky fingers, not her extremely curvy hips, but rather the symbol that was stuck upon her chest.

"My, that was a close call," The woman, Lust said in a velvety tone "Number 48, you should know better than to talk about things that don't concern you"

"Well, well, would you look at that," a mischievous voice rang out "What's the Fullmetal pipsqueak and the tree hugger's sister doing here?"

Edward growled with fury as another figure strolled on in from the darkness, revealing its sharp, crazed smile and it's questionable choice of clothing. And perhaps hair.

"Such a troublesome boy," Lust sighed, retracting her deadly, sharp fingers from the now lifeless helmet. Number 48 simply went limp on his side, like any other helmet within the world should have "How do you find out about this place?"

"Brother...Brother...BROTHER!" Number 48's body cried out. He desperately waved his hands into the air, trying to grip anything in sight. His efforts soon ended however, as his own sword plunged right into his exposed blood seal.

"Quit your pathetic blubbering, you idiot!" The man with the skirt, Envy screamed with fury, causing his purple eyeshot grow wild with anger. Without a hitch, he drove that deadly sword into the blood seal, over and over again until what was left of Number 48 was scrap metal "You were trying to kill one of our most important sacrifices. Do you understand me? You could have messed up the entire plan. What would we have done then, huh?"

"Tell me who you people are," Edward demanded "What plan are you talking about? What do you mean when you say important sacrifice?"

"Oh, my," Envy raised his head, wiping off all the anger and rage from his face. As though switch went off in his head, his sharp, angry snarl became a uncomfortable smile "The pipsqueak rearing to go. I think I've made it angry"

"Don't call me pipsqueak again" Edward snarled, tightening his fist.

"Then what would you prefer? 'A' pipsqueak?" He shrugged ever so carelessly.

Suddenly, Lysandra yanked her sword from ground, and pointed it straight into the air. Even if it wasn't really pointed at the quite amused Homunculus "Why don't you just get straight to the point and tell us why you're here?"

"Wow, now," Envy raised his hands in defense, "There's no need to fight here. Someone might get hurt, you know"

"This is a fight that you started!" Edward exclaimed "So come on!"

Edward's golden eyes lit up with fury and determination, as though he was ready give it his all. His hands were tightly fixated close together, ready to start a transmutation at any second.

At least until his automail arm went completely limp.

Like limp rag doll that lazily hung over a shelf, his arm completely gave out. Edward cried out in absolute shock as he desperately attempted to twisted and turn any appendage connected to his arm. Yet, not even sheer determination could save his skin.

"Technical difficulty?" Lust twisted her head with utter curiosity.

"Lucky me!" Envy cried out with glee. Before the utterly defenseless Edward could take a step, Envy rushed to his side and yanked his little body up with his thick, yellow braid. With a smile sharp enough to cut through metal, the homunculus sent a sharp knee right into his stomach, causing thick, warm blood to spurt from the golden haired alchemist mouth as he gasped for air.

"You're fortunate that your arm is broken," Envy warned as he dropped the listless Edward straight to the ground like a bag of beaten trash "If not for that, you wouldn't be getting off so easily"

"You son of a-" Lysandra growled with stabbed her sword through the air. Her efforts were soon useless, as a sharp, needle like finger stabbed right into her shoulder. Lysandra let out a howling cry of pain as blood burst from her shoulder, causing it to drip off of Lust's sickly sharp fingers.

"Listen to me well, don't ever forget this. Always remember: we allowed both of you to live" Lust warned. All the black haired girl could do was cringe and bite her lip for eternity as her sickly red blood soaked into her clothes and dropped off of her skin.

Those were the last words Lysandra heard before a bony, hard fist rammed right into her face.

* * *

 _"You know Al, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a while. But I guess I've been too afraid to say it…"_

His brothers words ran continuously through Alphonse's torchered mind, like a sick tune that wouldn't quite lose its edge. He didn't know what his brother really had to say only hours ago. He didn't know what made Edward so afraid to let his question escape his being. He didn't no what could of frightened him so much. Alphonse knew his brother wouldn't simply get scared over nothing. That was what really made the suit of armor internally cower beneath a blanket of fear and worry. However...the potential answer to his brothers question could shatter his world.

" _Are you sure you're not a puppet created by your so called 'brother'?. Were you even a real person to begin with?"_

He soon snapped out of his thoughts as a familiar, blood stained cleaver sliced next to his face.

"What's the matter little boy?" Number 66, Barry the Chopper retracted his cleaver and hung it high into the air, blocking out the shining object in the sky that was the moon "You've got something in your mind?"

Suddenly, a bundle of sharp, thorny vines flew right past him, missing his empty, yet unsettling face by inches. Right before the thick vines wrapped themselves tightly over Barry, Number 66 violently hacked at the wooden plants, causing shards of bark and plant material to fly everywhere.

"Hey!" Alric yelled, letting his inviting plants wrap comfortably over his automail hands "Pay attention. Your fight is between you and me!"

"No, it isn't!" Barry yelled back, lunging right at Alphonse "It's with this puppet over here!"

"Shut up!" Alphonse snapped back, ducking nearly inches under Barry's thick cleaver "You're wrong!"

"Just accept it," Barry straighten out his deadly weapon, letting Alphonse's heavy fist ram into its flat end "You'll feel better!"

"I won't!" Alphonse cried. The pleading suit of armor jumped straight to his feet, and crossed his arms tightly together in defense. Barry could only laugh in pity at the so-called child. It seemed everything fell right into place. So, letting his laughs fill the air, he hung his blood stained weapon right over his head as he ran straight to the defensive Alphonse. He was ready to chop him into nuts and bolts.

"You're mine now little puppet!" Barry the Chopper exclaimed, letting pure confidence fill his voice. At least until a horde of vines wrapped around his legs.

"...eh?" Barry muttered, before he face planted right into the soft grass. He tightly held onto his cleaver as his body was helplessly dragged across the ground, as though he was an old childrens play toy waiting desperately to be retired or simply thrown away. It didn't take long for his empty suit to fill with mud and grass, like some kind of potted plant. That soon ended however, as he was dragged straight to Alric's unsettling, blank face. Except from his emerald green crazed eyes, of course. These were the only two things that were bloodthirsty, it seemed.

"Boy, you are really beginning to piss me off" Barry warned, violently stabbing the vines wrapped around his legs.

"That's a shame," Alric said with an emotionless tone "But let's be honest, it doesn't matter. You'll be gone soon anyways"

"My thoughts exactly!" Barry yelled. Suddenly, he sliced his cleaver straight into the air, and cut something far more precious than Alric realized.

His arm.

Alric's eyes widened as Barry's cleaver sliced straight through his automail arm, letting it explode out from his shoulder. Shards of metal and wire flew widely around his face, circling around his utterly useless, rusted piece of machinery. His arm simply flopped right to the ground, like a fish out of water that wouldn't live long after. Although shock covered his face, his other arm was far too busy to be concerned. Instead, his hand immediately planted right onto Barry's face

"What?!" Barry exclaimed in shock "What happened to your arm?!"

"You took my bad arm," Alric growled, clawing his hands into Barry's empty eyes and sickening mouth "but my arm nonetheless. I had this happen to me before, it was far worse, actually. It was so quick I didn't have any time to prepare. But, I won't let that happen again. Especially when it's a serial killer who hurt my sister"

"Didn't have time to prepare for what?" Barry asked curiously, not letting fear nor worry shroud his voice.

"For this"

An explosion of red lightning left his fingertips, causing vines and leaves to escape his seed filled plan and wrap around every little crevasse Barry the Chopper had. Alphonse watched in shock Number 66's helpless body was dragged up into the air, letting thick vines wrap around and through him as though he was an abandoned piece of armor. No matter how much Barry struggled and moved, it only made the deadly vines wrap much tighter around him, bowing his armor.

"Alric! What are you…" Alphonse trailed off in utter shock. Instead of answering the surprised suit of armor, Alric instead focused his attention onto the lifeless suit of armor. Without another thought, he picked up his broken arm and flipped it over his shoulder, letting his fingers hang limp towards Alphonse.

"I'm going to kill him" Alric answered back.

"Don't do this! You can't kill another person! You can't!" Alphonse pleaded. No matter how much pain and terror he endured, he wasn't prepared take the life of another. Or watch someone do the same.

Unfortunately for Alphonse, he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Alric turned around, revaluing his emotionless eyes that nearly tore his soul in half

"I don't care. That's not a person. It's just a pathetic soul tied to a piece of armor. It doesn't deserve the title of human, or its life"

So so he squeezed his hand, letting his anger, rage, and revenge spill out upon the suit of armor who did in fact bite off much more than he could chew.

"...This isn't going quite as I planned"

Those were Barry the Chopper last words before vines exploded out of him, causing his body to bent and crumble into nothing more than a pile of scrap metal. And so his connection to the world was finally erased. His blood seal was broken.

All Alphonse could do was watch in utter horror as pieces of Barry rained down.

 _"That's not a person. It's just a pathetic soul tied to a piece of armor. It doesn't deserve the title of human, or its life"_

Someone like him.

* * *

 **Thank you guest, roseeyes and Demona Evernight for your reviews!**

 **roseeyes : I guess your predictions were different. I was thinking about doing the Al/Lysandra and Ed/Alric pairing during the lab 5 arc, but after some planning, I decided the other way around was best. And as for Izumi...you'll just have to wait and find out.**

 **Demona Evernight : Well...sorry for shattering your heart into oblivion with the Nina/Tucker. I think I like angst just a bit too much for my own good...As for Alric...yeah, he's pretty unsettling, but he has good intentions (or, at least he thinks he does). Let's see if your predictions pan out! (Cause I basically have a good idea of how the entire story will be like).**

 **Wow, lot happened in this chapter! We got to see not only Tucker (I decided to transform him into a Chimera like he was in FMA 2003 for shock factor for Lysandra), we saw Alric reveal his true colors to Alphonse (and perhaps scar him a bit with his "not a person" comment) And of course Barry the Chopper is as dead as his victims! You know how I said last chapter it was the longest so far? Well, this chapter officially takes the cake for the LONGEST chapter I have ever written for a fic. Over 11,000 freaking words (no wonder it took me so long...). I was planning to split is into two separate chapters, but every time I attempted to do it, I just felt a big disconnect from the content. It didn't feel right or read right. So, in effort of trying to fit an episode (roughly) into each chapter, I decided to make one giant chapter. I'll call it a gift for missing a week of updates.**

 **Anyhow, I have some news! I have made an account for my art! Not only am I going to post some of my original characters (and other things to that affect), I'll be posting pictures of Lysandra and Alric! (And fan art of FMA as well!) I'm still in the process of drawing them, but if your interested in my other art here are my usernames (since this won't let me post links...but, I'll try to post links of my profile as soon as I can)**

 **Deviantart : LadyXepherr (No, this is not a spelling error)**

 ** _Tumblr :_ ladyxepher**

 **Instagram : lady . xepher (without the space)**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	12. The Path To Little Hope

_|Chapter 12: The Path to Little Hope|_

* * *

It was safe to say Lysandra felt like hell.

Morning barely grew upon the blind girl, only hours from when that bony, cruel fist collided right into her face and left her with an ugly and puffy black eye. Her shoulder stung with furious pain each time she dared to move or twitch, as though that mysterious woman sent it through a blender. Along with a beating head and sore body. She heard that the golden haired alchemist didn't fare much better, perhaps even worse. However, stinging shoulder and her beating head couldn't amount to the sheer shock that shook through her weak body. And it wasn't about the newly formed Chimera by the name of Shou Tucker.

"Let me get this right. You...broke your arm off? Again?!" Lysandra exclaimed. Her anger was soon subsided as she attempted to yank herself off from her bed, causing her shoulder to ache in response.

Alric could only chuckle in pure anxiety as his little sister weakly glared into his ear, in other words straight at him. If Lysandra wasn't so beat and bruised up he knew he would of had a fine kick to his cracking knee ages ago. Or a simple elbow to his stomach. With none of those things to distract him from his slight guilt, it simmered within him like some kind of vegetable stew.

"Unfortunately…" Alric mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"What else did you do? Snap you knee stuck again?" Lysandra sarcastically muttered, flipping herself upon the bed burying herself in pillows "You're a real idiot for treating your limbs like spare parts"

"I know…"

Lysandra sighed, wiping away the anger and frustration from her face and being "but to be fair...I'm an idiot too"

Alric furrowed his brows in confusion "No, you're not. How could you say that?"

"I'm stupid for just going out with you three. I should have stayed at the hotel and butted out of this problem," she bluntly admitted "I feel like I dug myself a hole into something I wasn't supposed to. If I wasn't so arrogant and wander off from Ed..."

"What's done is done," Alric shrugged "There's no point in beating yourself over it. I'm just glad you made it out in one piece. If anything, I should be the one feeling guilty. I...I couldn't protect you. You're my little sister. You're big brother should have protected you"

"Yeah, I guess we both feel a bit guilty…" Lysandra reluctantly agreed, unable to get the sickly warm feeling of Tucker's thick fur out of her mind "...Are you alright?"

"Am I alright?" Alric scoffed "I'm not the one covered in bandages in a hospital bed"

"You lost your arm. That doesn't sound alright"

"I'm ok, really. A lost arm isn't going to kill me"

"I'm not asking that, I know you're alright psychically. I'm asking if anything happened while Ed and I were in the lab. The bodiless armor we fought...Number 48 I think...said he had someone else fighting outside. I caught that when I was looking for Ed"

"Oh, what happened?" Alric paused, carefully leading his emerald eyes away from his sister. His smirked, playful smile soon faded as the night washed over him once more. Although he accomplished the things he set out to do, they were things not even his sister could hear. He got revenge for Lysandra, but she didn't need to know.

She couldn't see or know the side of him purely filled with bloodlust.

Even if he didn't care who else saw it.

"Nothing notable," he lied, shrugging "Just a suit of armor who thought he could take Alphonse and I in a fight. That's wasn't the case"

"What happened to him?"

"He-"

Suddenly, the door slammed wide open, cutting off Alric's words like a hot knife to warm butter. He nearly sighed a breath of relief as Sergeant Brosh and Lieutenant Ross strolled right on the room, cutting him off from his very weak words.

It seemed it only took the young Edward seconds to snap himself right up from his bed. Right next to Lysandra's.

"Reaping Alchemist Sir!" They both exclaimed, replying with a sturdy and fine salute "Fullmetal Alchemist sir!"

"What gives?!" Edward whined "Why are stuck in a room together? I thought the situation with Scar finally blowed over"

"Our superiors are not taking any chances, sir" Brosh explained "You're heavily injured and put orders of supervisioning haven't changed. So, here we are"

"Fair enough," Alric shrugged, standing from his chair.

"Looks like you can sit up now, huh?" Ross pointed out, quickly changing the subject.

Edward sighed, washing way his frustration "What happened with the Fifth Laboratory?

"Well, it, uhm…" the Sergeant nervously trailed off, as though the words refused to come out of his mouth.

"Somebody blew up the building and there's nothing left of it now but rubble" the Lieutenant reluctantly finished.

"DAMN IT! YOU MEAN THEY WIPED OUT EVERYTHING!?" Edward exclaimed with fury, causing his loud voice to vibrate and twist his injuries. He cringed as pain shoved itself through his veins, right from his various broken body parts "That didn't feel good…"

"Don't hurt yourself too much," Lysandra warned with a groan of her own slicing pain "I still have to heal you when I can actually move my arm again. Without it feeling like I sliced it to bits of course"

"I'm going be waiting for a while, aren't I?" Edward raised his brow.

"Well…" Lysandra trailed off in thought. At least until a pang of her shoulder causing her to grit her teeth "Yeah…"

Edward sighed and crossed his sore arms in defeat "This isn't fair... Do you know how close I was to finding out the truth? This is no time for me to be lying around in a hospital"

Alric couldn't help but raise his brow in curiosity as his attention swayed to Sergeant Brosh and Lieutenant Ross. Concern immediately washed over their faces, as though nothing but regret and guilt filled them. It was as though they didn't quite complete their job as soldiers.

At least that was what the black haired alchemist thought. That wasn't the case however.

In seconds, Ross and Brosh replaced their guilt stricken faces with an absolute sense of duty and firmly tied their hands behind their backs "FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST, SIR!"

"Huh?" Edward blinked in utter confusion

"WE DO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE FOR THIS!"

"...Huh?"

And so a clean, firm hand cut right through his face and slapped him.

Edward was dazed and a loss for utter words. He was perhaps more shocked and surprised at the hand itself than who it actually came from. Not even the swift new pain that emitted from his cheek could amount to the confusion and surprise that took over him. Even Alric's emerald eyed flipped wide open in shock.

"You acted like a selfish child! You only escaped with your life because you were lucky!" Ross yelled, reprimanding him like a mere child rather than a sturdy State Alchemist. Her frustration however, soon ended and was swiftly replaced with concern "You don't have to do everything on your own, you know. You can lean on other people. Like us. Not all adults are the enemy. You can trust us"

It finally settled in you the young State Alchemist. He absorbed every little word that flew right of the Lieutenant's mouth. And whether he liked it or not, he knew it was whole heartily true.

"THAT'S ALL!" Edward was shoved right out of his thoughts as soldiers booming replies dug firmly into his ear "PLEASE FORGIVE OUR ABUSIVE WORDS AND CONDUCT, SIR! IT WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN"

"No. You're right," Edward shook his head "I should be apologizing"

"...My punishment? For slapping you?" Ross asked, attempting to mask the nervousness that coated her voice.

"Huh? Nothing. I had it coming" Edward admitted. A giant wave of relief immediately came over the two soldiers, causing them to sigh and breath as though a weight was lifted right off of their chests. It was painfully visible to the young State Alchemist, if their relaxed faces didn't tick him off enough

"What got you two so scared of me?" The golden haired alchemist anxiously asked.

"He's just a State Alchemist" Alric added on.

"State-certified Alchemists carry a military rank equivalent to that of a major" Lieutenant Ross explained.

"Mm hmm" Brosh firmly nodded in agreement.

"Ah, right" Alric nodded.

"Don't worry about it," Edward shrugged "I didn't get my certification so people would kiss up to me. You don't have to talk to me like a high ranking officer"

"Really? Oh…" Ross sighed in utter relief. So much even a shaky, nervous smile began to crawl onto her face.

"Ahh. I guess we were scared of the brat for nothing!" Brosh commented, dazed in the fun of it all. He was so out of it he couldn't see Edward's golden glaring eyes, pointed right at that 'brat' comment.

The golden haired alchemist soon forgot his frustration as he realized a particular suit of armor was missing from sight "Oh, where's Al? I haven't seen him"

"Alphonse got his own lecture earlier. But, I was the one who did the slapping…" Sergeant Brosh explained, lifting his incredibly cherry red, puffy hand.

"You slapped his armor?" Lysandra asked, picking up on his pained voice and utter regret.

"Eh, perhaps…"

It didn't take long for Lieutenant Ross' attention to shift from the agreeable golden haired alchemists to the equally guilty offenders that were the Whitewood siblings. The guilty offenders that needed a good, stern talking to.

"Speaking of other lectures…" Lieutenant Ross spoke up, attracting the attention of the curious Lysandra and Alric "We need to speak to you and your sister, sir. I think it's clear enough why"

Alric seemed to narrow his emerald green eyes as soon as those choice words left the Lieutenant's mouth. They seemed rather...out of place for her to say.

With a grunt, he raised himself from his seat "Then let's do this outside Lieutenant, if you don't mind. Just outside will do fine."

"It's not a problem" Ross nodded.

"Er…" Brosh anxiously coughed "Should I follow or…"

"Why don't you stay and speak with Lysandra," Ross suggested, "Give her her specific lecture as well"

"Ok then," Brosh nodded. With a general agreement that floated about though the air, Ross and Alric quickly shuffled out of the hospital room and firmly shut the door. Not even a mild yell could shove itself into the little room, let alone a peep. As Alric needed it to.

Right as Ross raised flat, deadly, Alric raised his remaining one in silence.

"I understand what happened. You don't need to slap me" Alric replied.

"Do you understand how much trouble you caused?" Lieutenant Ross asked, letting frustration deep into her voice "You were all there at the scene when the facility blew up. Currently there is little to no way to trace who actually blew it up. Not only did you escape when the Major ordered you not to, you went to an abandoned facility that's requires state permission to enter. And you brought your sister, a civilian with you. If anyone discovers you were there, which the military will, your lucky if-"

"I understand" Alric nodded, swiftly cutting off the Lieutenant's rant "I'll take care of it

"No, you don't understand," Ross raised her voice, furrowing her brows in frustration "You acted out of line, frankly like selfish child. Your actions have consequences that not only you affect you, but people like me and Sergeant Brosh as well. People like Major Armstrong. People other than yourself"

"Alright then," Alric nodded, that same, carefree nod. It was as fake as his own limbs "I think we're done here"

"No, were not" Ross snapped back "Don't brush off my words"

Alric sighed, and crossed his arms "I was trying to be nice. I'll be blunt then. What I do is my own business. You and Sergeant Brosh have no business in my personal affairs or judging whether their wrong or right. That's my issue and I'll deal with the consequences. If it affects you, deal with with. That's your job, isn't it?"

"You-"

"I'm talking right now Lieutenant," Alric harshly snapped back, filling his voice with disdain and annoyance "The Fullmetal Alchemist may not realize his position, but I do. My rank is equivalent to a Major. I outrank you. Do you realize I can write you up for insubordination and assault? I know how, I've done so before. I can make your life so much worse Lieutenant. So don't lecture me. Do you understand?"

Ross was nearly taken aback for words. This was the last thing she expected from the Reaping Alchemist, a threat. A very career ending threat at that.

"...Yes sir" Ross raised her palm up in a salute like the good little soldier she was forced to be.

"Good. If you as so much pep a word about this conversation to Lysandra, I'll send in a recommendation to have you transferred to the south," Alric warned, letting his emerald eyes sharp into two, deadly slits that nearly sent a shiver down Ross' spine "I heard Amestris isn't doing so well. Many casualties. Trenches are a hell on earth. I suppose it would be a shame if you got mixed in it all, Lieutenant"

With his last poisonous, threatening words, he lead his narrowed, deadly emerald eyes to the door and used all of his might with his remaining arm to swing it wide open. For a second, he managed to wash away the nearly deadly sternness and threatening glare from his face, all for his sister.

At least until the Sergeant's swift hand slid across his sister's defeated face.

Alric widened his eyes in utter shock as the Sergeants hand rang out from Lysandra's reddened face, refusing to fight back from his wide, large palm. She barely twitched, let alone cringed as the painful slap came across her dull face. Alric however, returned to his angered state and narrowed his eyes into two deadly daggers, ready to take down Brosh.

He stomped in, ready to shove the oblivious Sergeant into the wall and give him a piece of his mind "Hey, what the hell are you-"

"Brother, it's alright…" Lysandra weakly replied, gently rubbing her sore cheek.

"It's not! This Ser-"

"Alric," she snapped, raising her voice "I asked him to do it"

The black haired teen blinked in surprise. It took him so back all he could do was stare at Brosh in astonishment "Is this...true?"

Brosh nodded and sighed "It didn't feel right because she's blind sir, but she did ask"

"But why?" Alric asked, letting concern coat his voice.

"Because I deserve it. I was stupid to push you to go and even come. I...had it coming" Lysandra bluntly replied. She let her eyes wander aimlessly into the thick, white sheets before her, which were only a world of black to her own sight. She dug her hands tightly into the sheets, as though she was searching for warmth. In reality however, she was searching for a way to rid of her guilt.

Guilt Alric couldn't quite understand.

Her eyes flickered open as a sudden realization took her mind and body hostage. The entire situation nearly slipped her mind like a vague dream. As much as he curved herself to forget, it stuck to her thoughts like glue, unfortunately.

"Ed," Lysandra called out, causing the curious golden haired alchemist to snap his head up.

"Huh?" Edward mumbled, attempting to gather his own thoughts.

"Remember last night? When you asked why I was stained with blood? And I said I would tell you later?" Lysandra asked.

Alric's leapt forward towards his sister in shock "Wait, you were-"

"I'll get to that," she cut through her brother's words like a soft cheese.

"Do I remember?" Edward muttered, letting bus curious, thoughtful golden eyes wander up to the ceiling "It's all a bit fuzzy from the amount of blood I lost, but I haven't forgotten. Why?"

Lysandra paused, as though the cruel words refused to leave her mouth. Yet, with a deep, calm sigh, all she could do was spill those words out for the world to hear "...Shou Tucker is alive"

Edward's golden eyes immediately snapped open. All the memories of that rainy day flooded back into his mind instantly. That giant house of horrors. Tucker's wild, twisted smile that stretched abnormally across his face. The creature that was Nina and Alexander. The thought of seeing Nina like that gave the golden haired alchemist shivers down his spine. The pain that forced itself down his body didn't surmount to the pain that torched his mind once more.

"He's alive?!" Edward exclaimed "H-he can't be! For what he did to Nina...a little girl…"

"But the paper said he was executed…" Lieutenant Ross held her mouth in disgust.

"Are you sure it was really Shou Tucker?" Sergeant Brosh asked "You didn't mistake him for someone else"

Lysandra immediately shook her head "I really wish I did, but it was him. He turned himself to a Chimera, a successful one at that. He said he was... complete"

"A successful Chimera?" Alric thought "For a man who didn't fail too long ago, his success came relatively quickly"

"He failed alright!" Edward snapped back "He turned his own daughter into a hopeless Chimera! And she had to be the one to die! Not...not…"

All the golden haired alchemist could do was bury his hands into his face and claw at his skin as his thoughts ate at his mind like parasites.

"I understand you're still angry, but you need to calm down and looks at this from a logical point of view" Alric warned "First off, why would Tucker be in the 5th laboratory in the first place?"

"Maybe because he snuck into the abandoned lab?" Brosh said with hopefulness, as though his country great and untainted.

"I think we're going to have to face the facts…" Ross mumbled with disappointment "The military kept him alive for research. Someone had to approve of that, someone high ranking"

"The highest ranking individual at the time scene from what I remember was Colonel Mustang…" Alric thought.

"No, he wouldn't be one to approve of something horrendous like...that," Edward struggled to let logic take over, attempting to erase the pain for think "The Colonel's a lot of things, but he's looking for political gain. Keeping a criminal alive like that wouldn't exactly aid him"

"Then...the Fuhrer?" Lysandra said reluctantly.

"If he did make a successful Chimera...I...guess? But why? And how did he make a complete Chimera? And out of himself?" Brosh replied with uncertainty.

"This doesn't feel good at all…" Ross mumbled reluctantly "I feel like we dug ourselves into a hole we're going to have trouble getting out of…"

"You didn't have to listen, you know…" Lysandra pointed out "You could have walked out at any time…"

"We know but…" Brosh sighed "I think we're too deep into this not to listen"

"And I think Major Armstrong has a right to know. He did help you all locate the 5th laboratory" The Lieutenant pointed out, before sighing "I know we all have a lecture in store for us from the Major...

Edward's eyes flicked open in realization "I almost forgot. I have an even less pleasant lecture in store for me today…."

Brosh and Ross glanced at each other and blinked in surprise "Huh?"

It didn't take long for the one handed golden haired alchemist (and of course the almost armless black haired alchemist as well) to scour around for an available phone and call the last person they wanted to call all day. The one and only angry blond mechanic.

Edward held the phone tightly in his hand, refusing to hold it up to his ear and let Winry's voice scream into his head. He reluctantly glanced at Alric and held up the unsettling receiver towards him.

"Do you want to answer?" Edward practically begged.

Alric pushed away the receiver like the plague, letting her screams fill his mind once more "You're doing a fine job"

"Hello?" Winry called out "Rockbell's Prosthetic Limb Outfitters"

"Hello…" Edward replied, letting uncertainty and terror fill his voice.

"Oh, Ed. Since when do you ever bother to call us?" Winry asked, raising her brow "Is something wrong?"

"Yeah. Here's the deal," The golden haired alchemist continued "I hate to ask you, but, do you think you can make a service call out to Central for me?"

"A service call?"

"Yeah. My right arm's messed up again. I can move the fingers but that's about it. I can't lift the arm at all" Edward explained "And Alric's right arm is completely missing. He requested if you can bring a solution to get all of his rust taken care of"

"Yeah, that sounds about right…" the blonde mechanic mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself. So what were you doing when the arm stopped working? And when did Alric's arm snap off?"

"Uhh, we got into a really rough fight…" Edward reluctantly replied. He could practically feel Winry's screams once more. He could feel the moron comment bore into his head. He could feel the 'alchemy freak' comment engrave itself onto his brain. However, confusion crossed over him as the line went completely silent.

"Are you there? Hello? Winry?" Edward called out.

"Guess I've got no choice," she sighed "Tell me how to get there"

"You're sure in good mood today. I thought you were gonna…" Edward immediately shook his head, not willing to feel a bit of her wrath "You know what, nevermind. Forget it. Yeah. Yup. Sorry again, and thanks. Right. Good bye"

"Everything is taken care of?" Alric asked as Edward set down the receiver into its place.

"Yeah, its good" Edward nodded.

"Aww, was that your girlfriend?" Brosh voice suddenly butted into the air, like a lone individual who waited just for the right time to speak their thoughts aloud. It was enough to caused Edward to shove the phone back into its little casing and let blood spurt out of his wounds once more

"MY GIRLFRIEND?" Edward exclaimed, holding up his hands in defense as he blushed madly "NO WAY!"

It didn't take long for the Fullmetal Alchemist to keel over in pain as his wounds ached with fury once more. So, with a wheelchair in hand, Brosh happily wheeled his small, superior officer back to his hospital room. All Edward could do was blush and cling onto his wheelchair as Brosh talked his ear off.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," the Sergeant said with sympathy "When I was your age, I had a different girlfriend every week"

Right as the golden haired alchemist was about to snap back with a voice comment, he let his eyes draw to a small, dark corner of the hospital, consisting of a small bench and a cracked mirror in needed of a serious cleaning. Edward couldn't help but raise his brow as Alphonse bent over, and stared blankly into the ground.

"What are you doing, sitting in the dark all by yourself?" Edward asked, not gaining a response "Hey! Hey Al!"

Alphonse slowly raised his head up "Brother"

"You know you can come to the room, right?"

The giant suit of armor paused as he reluctantly glanced to the oblivious black haired teen, who only stared back at him with curiosity "I'll be there in a little while. You go on ahead"

"Okay" Edward nodded. With his last words, Edward was whisked away from Alphonse's sight, along with the Sergeant and the Reaping Alchemist. It was only seconds later Alphonse raised his head up to the cruel, cracked mirror and stared at every little crack and crevasse didn't make him human.

 _"Are you sure you're not a puppet created by your so-called 'brother'?"_

Or alive.

" _That's not a person. It's just a pathetic soul tied to a piece of armor. He doesn't deserve the title of human, or his life"_

* * *

"What happened?"

Winry was at a loss for words. Shock consumed every inch of her body, causing her tool bag to slip right out of her fingers and crash straight to the floor. She expected and damage to Edward's and Alric's auto mail. What she didn't expect was damage to Edward himself. And even Lysandra. So, it was only normal that her blue eyes widened in shock as Major Armstrong lead her into the hospital room.

Edward blinked in surprise, setting down his cards from a one-handed card game with the curiously peering Alric "Well, that didn't take long. You're gonna charge me an express service fee now, aren't you?"

Winry sighed, plucking her tool bag from the ground "No, I won't charge you for this" but then her eyes narrowed as they pointed towards the guilty Alric.

"As for you," Winry snapped her accusing finger towards the now incredibly guilty black haired alchemist "You're getting every fee imaginable! You lost your entire arm?! Again?!"

"It was my rusted arm!" Alric held up his hands-no-hand in defense "It was bound to come off anyhow!"

"It wouldn't have come off you weren't an idiot and did what Granny recommended! A bath of solution to scrape off all of that rust!"

"I understand…"

"You don't understand! What did I tell you last time?!" Winry exclaimed "Stop treating your automail like trash! And take care of it!"

"I keep telling him that, but he doesn't understand…" Lysandra mumbled in defeat.

"Hey! Whose side are you on anyways?" Alric exclaimed, feeling utterly betrayed by his sister.

"I'm on the side of spending less money for your appendages" Lysandra bluntly replied.

"Anyhow," Winry sighed, wiping off her anger "I didn't do a good enough job on your automail last time. And now you're badly injured"

It wasn't long before all eyes turned to him.

"It's not your fault!" Edward anxiously defended the blonde mechanic "you can't blame yourself for this. I broke it because I was being reckless. Your repairs were flawless as ever. This was all my fault"

Winry blinked in utter surprise, letting a certain screw fill her mind once more.

"Besides, if my arm hadn't broken when it did, I would have kept fighting then I would have been hurt even worse" Edward continued to ramble "So don't worry about it, okay? okay?"

She tilted her hard curiously, realizing that certain screw she forgot to insert into Edward's hand hardly affected him at all. Or, in the very least that was what Edward thought. Either way, it brought a bright smile to her face "Well then, let's go ahead and get right down to business, shall we? I'll have to charge you the usual rush order fee of course"

Edward blinked in surprise. The last thing he expected was the calm, smiley mechanic. "Huh?"

Winry's smile soon faded as she drew her eyes to the golden haired alchemist tray of food. The streaming vegetables were picked viciously at, and the chicken was decimated. The bottle of fresh milk however was full and untouched, as though it was tainted.

Winry drew her glaring eyes towards the short alchemist "You didn't drink your milk"

"Why should I? I hate it" Edward snapped back, crossing his arms like a little child.

"You're going to be small and stubby forever if you keep using that stupid excuse!"

"Shut up! I don't have to drink if I don't wanna!"

"What's so wrong with milk?" Lysandra asked curiously, as though she was offended by his very opinion.

"It's cow juice, that's what!" Edward snapped back.

"You sound like a spoiled little brat, Edward Elric!" Major Armstrong blurted in, letting his dangerously glimmering face sit threateningly next to the stubborn teen that was Edward.

"Every growing boy need his milk" Lieutenant Ross pointed out

"Yeah," Sergeant Brosh nodded in agreement "You want the girls to like you, don't you?"

The sound of a freaking door suddenly ripped through the air, causing all eyes to turn to the glimmering sliver that was left of the hallway. Edward squinted as his golden eyes picked up on what he thought was a glaring piece of metal. Yet, before he could pick out the metal's owner, the door slammed firmly shut.

"Was that Al?" Edward asked. However, only a round of shrugs went through the air.

All Lysandra could do was sigh, letting her fingers dig into the thick blankets that shielded her pulsating wounds from prying eyes. Concern ate at her mind, like a parasite of worry that she couldn't quite get rid of. Any idiot knew something was off about Alphonse, yet no one came to his rescue. No one dared to speak to him other than to get his butt into Edward's room. Perhaps that was the way he was built. Or perhaps no one dared to poke the bear that was the suit of armor.

It was a shame that the black haired teen was still as bed ridden as ever, as Alphonse grew accustomed to his new dark thoughts.

* * *

"I don't get it,"

Edward harshly cringed as the blonde alchemist violently twisted her wrench, sending a giant wave of what felt like bond shattering pain straight into the golden haired alchemists arm. With a loud groan, Edward clinged onto his arm as though it was for dear life.

He sighed "Al's been acting really weird lately"

Winry raised her brow "Weird how?"

"Just seems like something's been bothering him" Edward replied, revising to lift his golden eyes up.

"I've noticed too," Lysandra added in "He's been down ever since we explored the laboratory"

"I wouldn't blame him, but he'll get over it" Alric replied, barely letting his emerald eyes wander from his famed and praised little notebook. With a new sturdy arm and freshly derusted limbs, it was safe to say the black haired alchemist felt like a new man. His limbs refused to squeal, and scream back with every little movement he made, as though his own limbs are too afraid to tick him off. With his little sister contently recovering, his enemy as dead as ever, and perhaps a lead to the Philosopher's Stone by none other than the military, a sort of happiness washed over him. His emotionless, soul shattering words didn't even cross his mind.

Even if the suit of armor felt quite the opposite.

With one last ear shattering groan and wrench twist, Winry smiled in satisfaction and lifted her handy tool from Edward's arm "Ok. You're all set"

Edward climbed back to his bed and gently rolled and stretched his arm across his body "Well done. Ah, feels good to have it back. Thanks a lot"

Winry grinned as she stuffed her wrench back into her bag. "Sure, no problem"

Everything seemed fine and dandy to Alric, at least until a certain man burst through the door.

Like the good family man and solder he was, Lieutenant Hughes happily strolled through the door, instantly grabbing the attention of everyone who dared to be in the small hospital room. An audible groaned of horror floated through the air, only to be obliviously ignored by gushing man himself.

"Yo! Whitewood! Glad to see your still in one piece! Ed, my boy!" Lieutenant Hughes called out "Is it true you brought a pretty blond girl into your room to service you?"

Edward nearly fell of his bed and slammed his face right into the floor in mere shock. The fast, intense question hit him like a pile of bricks, causing his face to grow a soft red in pure embarrassment. "She's my automail mechanic. That's all, nothing more!"

"Oh. I see. You've seduced your mechanic, have you?" Lieutenant Hughes curiously raised his brow, only causing the golden haired alchemist to flush even more brightly than before.

"No! That's not even what I said at all!," Edward snapped "Were you even listening to me?"

Before Winry could even snap out of her highly odd thoughts and erase the confusion off her face, Hughes suddenly grabbed a giant handful of her hands and them a hearty shake, as though she was attempting to shake them right off.

"Maes Hughes!" The Lieutenant happily introduced himself "I'm pleased to meet you, young lady"

"You too…" Winry trailed off, molding her mind back into reality "I'm Winry Rockbell"

"Nice to see you, Hughes. But don't you have work to do?" Edward swiftly growled as he clawed back up to his thin, warm bedp

Hughes shook his head "Nope. It's all under control. I gave Sheska some overtime"

"You're a real jerk, aren't you?" Edward raised his brow in suspicion.

"She could use it. I'm sure she could save a bit more money for...her loved one" Alric commented, letting the name of the certain 'loved one' completely slip his mind.

"I suppose…"

Lieutenant Hughes' eyes blinked open in realization, letting an old thought crawl back into his mind "Oh, yeah, and I think you'll be happy to know I just found out all of you shouldn't need to be kept under guard for too much longer"

Alric harshly snapped his notebook shut "Really?"

Edward's golden eyes lit back up, as though they never gleaned with brightness until their words escaped Hughes mouth "Great!"

"What did you say? Hold on just a second…" Winry sent her glaring, suspicious eyes right at Edward, who ever so conveniently refused to meet them "How much trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?"

"Well... You see, it's…" Edward trailed off. As much as his guilt pained him, it soon washed away, letting his facade of anxiety fade away. Although he still refused to meet the angrily peering blond mechanics eyes, it was clear that it wasn't because of plain old guilt "Well, it's nothing that concerns you"

Winry let silence run through the air as she glared down at Edward. With no real answer, she sighed and retracted from his body "Of course, not. I don't know why I bother to try. It's not like you'll talk to me anyway. Fine. I'll see you tomorrow. I'll have to go and see if I can find some place to stay tonight"

"Come on!" Lieutenant Hughes suddenly slipped back into the conversation, as though not a thing was wrong "No need for that. Why don't you spend the night at my place?"

"Really?" Winry blinked in surprise as she plucked her tool bag from the ground.

"Yes, of course. My wife and daughter will be delighted to have you! Whitewood! Join us!" Hughes replied. Alric could practically feel the friendly Lieutenant pull out his abundance of family photos from his pockets.

"I can't, got to watch my sister!" Alric replied loudly, muffling out Lysandra's disappointed and very obnoxious glares.

"No, I-" Winry attempted to protest, however, her words were swiftly cut off as Hughes latched his hand into her bare, free arm.

"It's settled. Come on, come on. Here, let me take that. Oh, I've got it. Let's go!"

Without so much as another word, Hughes helplessly swept the frazzled, blonde mechanic right off her feet and dragged her out of the room, as though she was nothing more than a toy waiting to be played with. One thing was clear, however.

Hughes needed someone to talk to. Other than Colonel Mustang.

Alric snapped his notebook back open and continued his reading "He seemed eager to invite Winry over"

"Tell me about it," Edward replied, scratching his head in utter confusion "He's like that with everyone, though"

"Ah, right"

As Alric and Edward continued their conversation about god knows what, Lysandra's own thoughts continued to swirl across her mind, as though they were ready to burst about and take her body hostage. They nearly were.

Without another word, she carefully slipped out of bed and began to stumble into what seemed like nothingness of the room. Alric's eyes immediately widened in surprise, causing him to snap right to his feet and rush over to his stumbling sister.

"Wait, Lysandra," Alric cautioned, taking her hand "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to look for Al," Lysandra replied "Is there a stick around here? Or my whistle?"

"You need to rest. You haven't fully recovered yet" Alric pointed out.

"I'm tired of resting…" Lysandra whined "I feel stiff lying in a bed all day"

Alric paused and sighed "Alright, fine. But I'm coming with you"

"Fine…" Lysandra muttered. She reluctantly wrapped her arm into Alric's little crook of arm arm and let him guide her across the little room until they finally made it to the door

"Hey, if you see Al, ask him how he's doing," Edward asked.

Alric raised his hand and nodded "No problem"

Without another word, the two Whitewood siblings burst through the door and entered the unknown abyss that was the dazzling and long hallways of the hospital. Although Lysandra never asked what truly happened at the 5th laboratory and Alric never stated what he really occurred to the infamous Barry the Chopper, the two siblings continued to pleasantly chat and talk about whatever came across their mind. For a moment, it seemed the Philosopher's stone was completely forgotten, and was replaced by talk of their exciting plans once Lysandra recovered. All seemed good.

They never found Alphonse.

* * *

"So we meet again, you little bastard…"

Edward glared into his full bottle of the evil, cold liquid that was dared to be called milk. Although everything that resembled food was destroyed upon his plate, the bottle of milk stayed contently upon his tray, taunting him and his small stature.

The golden haired alchemist tapped his fingers in utter frustration "I'm not gonna drink you"

Alric's sat pleasantly on the edge of Lysandra's bed and raised his eyebrow in utter confusion. Yet,the golden haired alchemist pipped interest "You do this every time the nurse brings you milk. What do you have against it?"

"Everything…" Edward hissed, narrowing his golden eyes into slits as he nearly bore a hole into the glass bottle

"Brother, you have a living body that needs nourishment," Alphonse softly pipped from his corner. Although Edward was glad his brother finally decided to situate himself into the hospital room, it felt like he wasn't really there at all "you have to drink it"

"I don't have to if I don't want to. It may not look like it, but I have grown some. But everyone still call me a pipsqueak," Edward mumbled. His eyes soon softened as he glanced across his sturdy, large brother "I wish I was like you Al. You've got such a big body now"

It seemed everything that was wrong about the giant suit of armor was wrapped in one, careless comment. It bore into Alphonse's helmet like a giant drill. It was like the question he desperately didn't want to know was finally answered. Was he human?

 _"Are you sure you're not a puppet created by your so-called 'brother'_?"

And if he wasn't human...

" _That's not a person. It's just a pathetic soul tied to a piece of armor. He doesn't deserve the title of human, or his life"_

Alphonse suddenly jumped up from the ground,desperately clutching onto what little truth he had left "It's not like I asked for this body, brother!"

It was only then the blonde mechanic and Lieutenant Hughes stepped into the room, only to be met with the desperate shouts of Alphonse. Edward's eyes widened in utter surprise, taken aback by his brother's sudden change. In an instant, he drew his softened eyes to his tray, unable to look at what he created out of his dear, younger brother.

"Sorry. You're right. It's my fault that it happened. But I'll make it right. I'll get you back in your real body…" he tightened his hand into a fist "You'll see, Al…"

"That's what you always say but you don't know that for sure" Alphonse pointed out, letting frustration and anger fill his voice.

"Look, look, I'm promise I'm gonna get you back. Believe me, Al. I'll do it," Edward replied with wavering confidence.

"Believe you? How am I supposed to believe anything when I'm stuck in this body!" He snapped "What should I believe in? My memories? Memories are just scraps of information that can be made up as easily as anything else!"

"Al, what…" Edward looked up and furrowed his brows "what are you talking about?"

"Do you remember when you said there was something you were afraid to tell me? I think...I think I might know what it was. Maybe you wanted to say that my soul and my memories are really artificial constructions you created. You, Winry, and Granny, you've been lying to me all along, haven't you?" Alphonse yelled as loud as his body could muster, all he could do was stare at his hands-no-gloves tied to his suit of armor in pain, "It's just like what Alric, I'm not a person, I'm just a pathetic soul tied to a piece of armor, aren't I? I can't live like this if I'm not human! What do you have to say for yourself, Brother!"

Lysandra's eyes snapped wide open. As though it was the first time in a very long time she could see, she attempted to snap her head towards Alric. Anger began to boil within her, like a simmering pot that couldn't keep the lid on itself. And it wanted to blow right over.

"You said _what_?" Lysandra hissed.

Alric immediately jumped from the bed and pointed his accusing finger towards Alphonse "That's was _not_ directed at you"

"Does it matter? You said it!" Alphonse cried out "And you're right…"

"Why would you say that to him!?" Lysandra exclaimed "What the hell were you thinking?!"

"I said it wasn't directed to him!" Alric snapped, turning his attention back to Alphonse "It's your own damn fault for taking it personally! That's not my problem"

"Alric!" Lysandra growled in disappointment.

"I'm just like him…"Alphonse trailed off, letting memories of the fifth laboratory flood back into him "Why couldn't you have let him live? Why did you have to say those words? It wouldn't have made a difference, however…"

"This is not my fault you BIG BUCKET OF-"

The sound of a clatering tray sliced through the air, causing absolute silence to fill the air. All eyes turned to the golden haired alchemist, whose shaking fists were practically glued into the tray. His golden eyes were hidden by a curtain of his hair, only revealing his painfully bared teeth.

"Are you all done?" Edward growled, lifting his furiously shaking fists from his tray "Is that what you really think? You believed that all this time? So are you finished? Or is there more you wanted to say?"

With silence as his only answer, he gently pushed the tray from his body and hopped of the bed. He refused to pep a word as he slipped right past the frazzled Winry, and walked right out of the room.

"Okay" Edward blankly replied as he firmly shut the door.

Winry suddenly burst through the door "Don't go. Ed!"

As though not a sound could be sent through his ears, Edward continued his trek down the hallway. Winry suddenly clenched her fist, knowing there was not a thing she could do. In defeat, she silently shut the door and grabbed a wrench from her tool bag, as though that was the only thing that could bring her comfort. She squeezed into the handle for dear life, causing her hands to grow red with anger and pain.,

"Al…" Winry growled "You MORON!"

Without as so much as a warning, Winry slammed her wrench right into the suit of armor's hard, thick helmet, causing it to ring out like a bell. His bed shook and vibrated with fury.

As Winry continued to slam her wrench into Alphonse as much as her small yet sturdy frame could allow her, Lysandra continued glare in the direction of her brother with absolute fury and anger.

"Why would you even say that in the first place?" Lysandra demanded "What kind of 'comment' what that?"

"It doesn't matter, it's in the past!" Alric hissed.

"It obviously does matter!" Lysandra snapped. With a painful sigh, she buried her head into her hands "Look, Let's go somewhere private and discuss this"

"I think we're done discussing, I got my point across" Alric replied calmly.

"I haven't! We're going outside, now" Lysandra commanded.

"We're done"

"Now!"

"No"

"NOW!"

Her voice rang through the hospital room, barely tearing Alphonse and Winry from their own argument. As tears flooded from Winry's pained face, Alric sighed and finally gave in.

"Alright, fine!" Alric snapped, gently taking his sister's arm "Five minutes. That's it"

The Whitewood siblings rushed out of the hospital room as though they were on fire, burning with wispy, colorful flames. The only flames they were really burning with were the flames of anger and frustration. Alric's slammed the door shut as hard as he could, as though no one could hear a word he would say. Without as much as another word, Lysandra unhooked herself from Alric's arm and proceeded to slam herself into the wall.

"Hey, I-" Alric was about to say.

"We're outside," Lysandra firmly said.

"Of the hospital room. I was going to go farther" Alric pointed out.

"It doesn't matter," she softly growled back, not losing the edge in her voice "What matters is what you said to Al"

"I said it wasn't directed at him! How many damn times to I have to say this!" Alric harshly snapped back.

"That's not the point! You shouldn't have said it in the first place, to anyone!"

"Like hell it matters what I say" he hissed "He got offended, so what? I won't regret my words"

"Just listen to yourself! You're acting like an arrogant jerk!" Lysandra snapped "Your acting like you don't care about anyone other than yourself!"

"That's not true! I care about you!"

"If you cared about me you wouldn't spew out nonsense and make others feel bad! If you really cared about me you would talk to Al about how he's actually him and! You might not care about him, which is increasingly obvious I might say, but I do! It might have not been directed at him, but you still hurt him. Get that through your thick skull Alric. And if it wasn't directed at him, then to who?" Lysandra demanded.

"It's..." Alric clenched his fists and snapped his head away from his sister "It's none of your concern, that's what"

"It is very well my concern! Why the hell did you think I demanded we talk in the first place?"

"It doesn't matter" Alric hissed, tightly crossing his arms.

"Stop lying and tell me. It was that other suit of armor, wasn't it?"

The black haired alchemist paused, letting his narrowed emerald eyes glare into his furious sisters empty, glazed eyes. In defeat, he sighed.

"Alright, I'll be honest," Alric calmly sighed "It was that suit of armor that attacked Alphonse and I. He got into both of our heads. He pissed me off and I let a few words slip out of my mouth. I never meant for Alphonse to take it personally, but what I said to...that suit of armor, I won't regret that"

"...You're not telling me everything," Lysandra trailed of suspiciously "You don't get angry over nothing. What did he say?"

"You don't want to know"

"Just tell me!"

"You'll regret it"

"Be my brother and be honest with me!"

"Alright!" Alric snapped "It was Barry the Chopper! That guy who tried cutting you up! Are you happy? Somebody, I don't know, stuffed his soul into a suit of armor! And I killed him. For you!"

Lysandra's glazed eyes widened. That fateful day soon flooded back into her mind, a memory she stuffed firmly into the back of her thoughts. She could feel the cruel warmth crawl around her body once more. She could feel the sickly cold slab of meat rub against her skin. And most of all, she could feel hopelessness run through her veins.

Alric groaned and visited his face into his hands as Lysandra's face fell "This is why I'd didn't want to tell you. I wanted to leave it in the past"

"...If you wanted to leave it in the past…" She softly trailed off "Then why did you bother killing him?"

"Closure" Alric bluntly replied.

"For who?"

"For who!?" Alric scoffed, letting confusion take over him "For you! I just said that"

"I'll be honest too…" Lysandra sighed, letting her head hang low "I couldn't have cared less what happened to him"

"What? What do you-" before he could finish, he was swiftly cut off by his sister's words.

"I'm so tired of death. I'm so tired of feeling and seeing pain," Lysandra admitted "Everyone that I know is dropping like flies or giving up. Barry The Chopper was a horrible human being, but...what's done is done," she weakly smiled "I don't have the strength to really care about people like him anymore. So when I heard you said those words to Alphonse…All I saw was pain"

She sighed "I don't think you killed Barry for me, but for yourself"

Alric's emerald eyes widened. In an insmat, he planted his hands upon Lysandra's shoulders "How could you say that? Everything I do is for you, from becoming a State Alchemist to finding the Philosopher's stone. It was always for you. I...I don't have anyone else. I only have you…"

Alric clenched his hands into her sisters frail shoulder, letting his fingers shake and squeak with frustration. He clenched his teeth, as though he was desperately fighting the tears that began to welt up within his pained eyes. He knew for a fact Lysandra couldn't see the pain upon his face, but even so, he always tried to hide it. For her. For his sister.

"I think that's your problem…" Lysandra narrowed her eyes "You don't only have me. You have all of these great people trying to help you. I've finally realized that talking to Al. We're not alone, brother"

"Yes we are…" Alric replied, letting the confidence drain from his voice "and we always will be"

"I can't believe that anymore," she shook her head "You don't have to kill and sacrifice to make us happy. Just try to connect with others. Just try living away from the past without pain"

She wrapped her arms tightly around her brother's neck, letting her warm, delicate fingers dig into his coat. She buried her her into his chest, only letting a smile, weak smile escape.

"...I'll try"

Words were only words however. Not actions.

* * *

 **Thank you Guest X and roseeyes for your reviews!**

 **Guest X: I'm sorry your not liking where this is going. I just hope you stick around to see what will happen next, you may enjoy it! I've got some exciting and big things in store for the Whitewood siblings!**

 **roseeyes: I'm glad you liked the fight scene (even if I suprised you a bit with Lysandra). Envy and Ed fights are always fun to write (Really, just any fight with Envy. He's a sadistic little opportunist).**

 **This was a relatively angsty chapter to write. It got a little bit hard at times to get through it, especially with the latter part. But, it left ALOT to work with. Now it's just the matter of seeing how the Fuhrer reacts to all of this...Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	13. A New Beginning?

|Chapter 13: A New Beginning?|

* * *

"To...Dublith?"

"Yeah. That's what the tickets say"

Winry's carefully shifted the small stack of tickets towards Alric, revealing the small set of words neatly printed right on them. He couldn't help but raise his brow at the name, as though the city was off in some foreign country. He wasn't exactly knowledgeable of the south (other than his grandmother's cottage and Rush Valley of course), so Dublith failed to set off any bells within Alric's head.

Yet a certain bell of nervousness rang about loudly within his mind. He didn't know why his heart beated furiously, as though he was in the middle of a rough fight with a particular person he didn't wish to live anymore. He didn't know why his emerald eyes shifted anxiously, as though someone was about to jump out and attack him. He didn't know why his fingers twitched with fury, as though they were real. Perhaps he did know.

He was attempting to be a normal person.

It was much different for him to be that's sort of person that act like one. Acting was simple for him, the correct words rolled right out of his eyes what tongue with a clear end goal in mind. It was simply using others to get what he wanted. Taking off that's acting mask however...it made him feel like it was his State Alchemist test all over again.

So, in hopes of living up to his sister's sad, pleading words, he decided to go off with Winry to pick up a few tickets to Dublith to connect. Except he didn't know how to.

He squinted in confusion "What could Edward and Alphonse possibly want in Dublith?"

"I'm not sure," Winry shrugged "but I do know that their teacher lives in Dublith"

"Teacher? Do you mean for alchemy?"

She nodded "Yeah. Maybe they're looking for their teacher"

"Oh. I assumed their parents taught them alchemy" Alric pointed out.

"No, it wasn't that way," Winry shook their head "Their dad left them when they were really young. And from what I know of, their mom didn't know much about alchemy. Why do you ask?"

"Oh...er…" Alric anxious stacteted the back of his neck, desperately attempting to find the most honest words he could "My...mother taught me alchemy when I was younger. And my father taught my sister Alkahestry. He's from Xing. Yeah…"

He immediately drew his eyes down to the pavement, refusing to even glance at the blonde mechanic in fears anxiety would bubble up within his throat once more and make him trail on and on endlessly.

Winry raised her brow, noticing his odd, perhaps secretive deminor "Are you alright?"

Alric immediately snapped his head up, causing his long bangs to fly wildly into his face "Of course, I'm alright. I've never been better"

Winry continued to glare at the black haired alchemist in suspicion, as though she didn't believe a word that rolled out of his mouth. Seconds later however, she sighed and crossed her arms in defeat.

"You're just like Ed," Winry sighed "You don't bother to tell anyone what's on your mind. And you both treat your automail like it's easily replaceable"

Alric narrowed his emerald eyes. This time however, it was not in anger, suspicion or even frustration. It was in disappointment. In himself.

"Well…" Alric anxiously picked at the corner of his notebook, letting his metallic fingers rub furiously against its leather cover "It's easier for me to stay quiet and tell a white lie. I don't want to get anyone I care about swallowed up in my concerns"

"They won't mind, you know," Winry pointed out "That's what friends and family are for"

"Then...are you saying you're my...friend?" Alric anxiously asked, as though the words didn't quite fit in his mouth right. Winry however, raised her head to the sky in thought, jetting his awkward words brew within her mind. Seconds later however, she turned to Alric with a friendly smoke that sent an odd shiver down the black haired alchemist's spine.

"Yeah. I'm your friend" Winry replied. Fur a second, a real grin passed by Alric's face, one that wasn't curved and once that wasn't for his sister.

"Great" Alric nodded. However, that grin soon became as forced as his attempt to connect with others.

It was a start, in the very least.

As Alric painfully attempted to strike up some sort of conversation with Winry, The Elric brothers and Lysandra stayed within the confines of their hospital room, with an abundance of drawings, papers, and diagrams, they continued to inform the Lieutenant and Major about their no so secret endeavor at the Fifth laboratory

Edward picked up his drawing and pointed at the quick doodle of the man with dark green, palm tree-like hair "I don't remember anything after being kicked by this guy"

"I do remember there was a woman," Lysandra explained "I think she stabbed me in the shoulder. I don't understand how, she sounded like she was too far away to even nick me with a knife"

"She had those long, weird fingers" Edward said, wiggling his own fingers fur effect as though she could see them.

"Oh"

"'Guardians with souls', 'precious sacrifices', 'being kept alive', 'Ouroboros tattoo', 'transmutation circle for the philosopher's stone'" Hughes trailed off, recounting the details the teens spoke out about.

"According to Dr. Marcoh, the stones were used in Ishval, as well…" Armstrong trailed off, before shaking his head "There are too many mysteries for it to be an ordinary experiment"

"I'd like to look in it some more, but the research lab is in ruins now…" Lieutenant Hughes replied in disappointment "We may be able to discover something if we look through the court martial chamber"

Armstrong picked up a healthy handful of papers and stuffed the stack tightly under his arm "I'll go investigate the ones who were participating in the research of the stones under Dr. Marcoh"

Right as Major Armstrong walked to the door, it slowly it slowly creaked open, as though a nurse went on to simply peak, that suspicion soon ended however as a particular man graciously entered time room, showering his excellence and power upon everyone who dared to stand next to him.

"Sorry to intrude" Fuhrer Bradley apologized he softly shut the door behind himself

Armstrong and Hughes were at a loss. In complete and utter shock, they let their mouths hand wide open, before they went into the strongest salute they have ever done in their military career "F-Fuhrer. King Bradley!"

"Quiet down. You can be at ease" Bradley replied. Without another word, he strolled towards the utterly confused Edward, along with a hefty and healthy melon in his hands.

"You're excellently, may I ask why you are here?" Hughes anxiously asked, still keeping his tidy form.

"Why I'm here? To visit this boy, of course," Bradley replied, stuffing his healthy melon right into Edward's hands "I wanted to give you this melon"

"Oh...thank you…" Edward replied ever so anxiously, taking the gracious fruit from the Fuhrer "I-I mean sir!"

"King Bradley…" Lysandra anxiously trailed off. Absolutely not knowing what to do, she gave a random salute off into the distance "s-sir!"

"You must be the Reaping Alchemist, younger sister, am I correct?" Bradley asked, facing the oblivious black haired teen "Where is he anyhow?"

"He's at the library sir," Lysandra quickly lied. The Fuhrer took a few seconds, letting silence fill the air until he let her words sink in.

Satisfied, he pulled another melon from his back and carefully set it upon the side table "I left another melon for your brother. It's on the table to your left"

"Thank you...sir" Lysandra anxiously replied. Moments later, he faced the anxious Armstrong, causing him to sweat furiously as the Fuhrer's narrowed eyes met his own.

"Seems like you you've been doing a lot of investigating of military leadership, Major Armstrong" King Bradley calmly commented, causing the Major to blink in utter shock.

"Huh? Well...that's…how did you…" Armstrong trailed off in awe, as though mere words couldn't describe his shock.

"Don't underestimate my intelligence network," Bradley warned, although bitterness or spite didn't fill his voice "As for you Edward Elric...The Philosopher's Stone, right?"

"Yeah…" Edward swallowed the biggest lump of anxiety he had ever felt in his life.

"Just how much did you find out?" Bradley demanded "Depending on that, I may have to…"

A tense silence suddenly filled the air, like a thick blanket hat was attempting to smother the life of everyone within it. Scenarios through Edward's head. He could be arrested. He could lose his state license. Or could be exiled. Or he could be executed. Those thoughts sound ended however, as a loud, booming laugh filled the room.

"I'm joking!" The Fuhrer ardently exclaimed, letting a wide, friendly laugh fill his face "No need to get tense"

"What?" Was all Edward and Lysandra could even mutter. Although their sense of death and overall sense of their life didn't quite fade away, it began to overflow with confusion once more.

"I too, was aware there have been disquieting activities within the military," Bradley explained "I've always wanted to do something about them but…"

Armstrong's eyes snapped wide open as Bradley effortlessly picked up a sheet of paper, scribbled with an abundance of names "Oh that's…"

"A list of people who were researching the Philosopher's stone, eh?" Bradley trailed off. Satisfied, he simply let the sheets of paper float back onto the table "Everyone of them has been reported missing"

"What?!" The Major exclaimed in shock.

"They have been reported missing a few days prior to the destruction of the 5th laboratory. The enemy is always ahead of us. Even with my intelligence network, we don't know the scale of it all, their objectives, or how close they are to achieving them" Brady explained.

"So your saying it's extremely dangerous for us to look into it?" Lieutenant Hughes asked.

"That's right. Lieutenant Colonel Hughes, Major Armstrong, Elric brothers, Whitewood, I've decided you all are trustworthy people. I forbid you to continue investigating his matter of disclose it to anyone!" Bradley commanded with an iron tongue "You cannot trust anyone in a situation like this, when you cannot even distinguish friend from foe! Regard all of the military as your foe and proceed carefully. However...when the time comes, I will have tasks for you all. So be prepared"

Almost immediately, the Lieutenant and Major resumed their hefty, strong salute, as though it was the only thing they were built for "Yes sir!"

"Your excellently?!" A mysterious voice suddenly called out "Where have you gone, your excellently?!"

"Ah drats! Here comes my annoying subordinate! I snuck out of my office after all" Bradley muttered. Before the military men and the oblivious Lysandra could even react, the Fuhrer rushed to the window and popped it right open. Nearly everyone dragged themselves to the window as King Bradley simply hopped out from the window frame and scurried away like a little mouse.

"Farewell!" Bradley lifted his hand lazily into the air, shuffling away from a mixture of confused and shocked faces. Shock continued to line their faces as the door creaked open, revealing none other than the blonde mechanic and the black haired alchemist.

"Hey Ed!" Winry called out, shutting the door. Her joy and excitement soon turned to confusion as she was met with a line of equally confused and utterly shocked faces. Even Alric if couldn't help raising his brow "Huh? What are you guys doing?

"Let's just say...a storm went though…" Edward lightly explained.

"Brother? How did it go?" Lysandra called out, lifting her head up in keen attention. With a lopsided grin, Alric casually made his way to his sister and hopped onto the edge of her bed. The black haired girls eyes snapped open as her bed suddenly and unexpectedly shook as Alric simply planted himself upon it.

"I'm here," Alric announced, patting the sheets for emphasis "It went...alright. I did what you asked me to do"

"And how was it? Letting your walls down a bit?" Lysandra asked, tilting her head curiously.

"It was painful…" Alric mumbled "and awkward"

"Well, at least you're trying"

"I suppose…"

Lysandra chuckled "Have about more faith in yourself. I know you'll do better"

Alric couldn't help but stare into his sister's unusually bright and cheery eyes. Even though a few stained bandages were placed upon her face and her shoulder still ached, her face was framed with a bubbly, happy smile. It seemed the fight they had not long ago was erased from her mind. It seemed her troubled were simply forgotten. For a moment, it was like she could see his face once more.

It was a face Alric didn't want to lose.

He softly narrowed his eyes, letting his smile fall clean off his face "Yeah…"

"I went out and bought the tickets you asked for," Winry announced, cutting off the Whitewood siblings conversation "Tomorrow's afternoon train, right?"

Edward nodded "Yeah, thanks"

"You bought our tickets to Dublith too, right brother?" Lysandra whispered "We agreed we would tag along. They said they didn't mind anyhow"

"I know, I did," Alric sighed "But as I said before, we still have a strong lead on the Philosopher's stone. I highly doubt Dr. Marcoh is moving anywhere anytime soon. It's only a day away by train. Just a bit of blackmail and-"

"We're on a better path tagging along with Ed and Al," Lysandra cut through his words like thin paper "Support and connections are crucial. They may not like the idea of what the Philosopher's Stone is made with, but maybe we can find a better alternative that easier to make. Or find substitutes for souls. And if that's not possible, don't you want to find out how to make a complete Philosopher's Stone?"

Alric sighed "Alright. Fair enough"

"Why are you in such a rush?" Major Armstrong asked, peering down at the heavily bandaged alchemist "Your wounds haven't even healed yet"

"I can't stay in a place reeking of antiseptics forever!" Edward exclaimed, crossing his arms in disgust, as though the chemicals have burned out his nose

"Where are going this time?" Hughes asked, prompting Winry to title the ticket towards the curious Lieutenant "Dublith?"

"Yeah," Edward nodded, setting his hand upon his tall, hefty little brother "After discussing it, we've decided to stop by our teacher's place"

"Teacher?" Lysandra asked, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion

"Alchemy teacher, correct?" Alric questioned.

"Yeah, that's the one," Edward replied.

"I'm scared brother…" Alphonse suddenly cowered "We're probably going to get killed!"

"Maybe this was a bad idea…" Edward began to simmer within pity and self doubt, feeling his teacher's cold, glaring eyes born a hole right through his automail! "I'm just as scared as you are!"

"Your teacher must have been something…" Alric mumbled.

"What kind of person is your teacher…" Winry trailed off.

"Dublith is quite far from here" Major Armstrong commented. Like the good soldier he was, he pulled out a small, flooded map of the country and carefully spread it across a table, letting the wrinkles hide a road or two.

"Where is it?" Winry asked, approaching the map.

"Let's see…" Alphonse trailed off, letting his empty, large finger hover right over the map. His red eyes lit up as he firmly pointed at the large city, causing Winry's bright blue eyes to fixated upon the area "here, right in the middle of the south"

Winry stared into the map, as though she was attempting to burn a joke into it with her more stare. Seconds later however, her eyes grew wide with joy and excitement. Without as so ouch as a warning, she let out a loud, joyful squeal that ripped through everyone's ears

"W-what?" Edward anxiously asked, letting a large tear of sweat run down his awfully worried face.

"This place, before Dublith!" Winry exclaimed, jabbing her finger towards the little dot of holiness and hope "The holy land of automail, Rush Valley! I've always wanted to go there! Please take me! Please take me! Please take me! You better take me!"

"Oh right…" Alric moaned with utter distaste "Rush Valley…"

"What's so wrong with Rush Valley?" Edward asked, raising his brow.

"Everything. The weather is horrendous and makes my stumps ache. Everyone either wants to strip you to see your automail or flat out rip you off. And that's not taking into account the thieves that roam frequently around there"

"It's not that bad Alric," Lysandra scoffed "We already have a mechanic over there. And we've only been robbed once. And you caught the man anyways"

"And I let him have a piece of my mind…" Alric trailed off in thought "Sent that son of a bitch to the hospital…"

"Yeah, you were pretty rough on him…"

"He asked for it"

"Throwing that aside, it still the holy land of automail!" Winry exclaimed, letting Alric's words wash right over her head "Oh, won't you please take me there Ed!"

Edward frowned "Why don't you go by yourself?"

"Who's going to pay for the trip then?" Winry snapped, letting her joy and excitement fall.

"Your planning on making me pay for it?" Edward growled,

"Sure, why not?" Alphonse shrugged "It's on the way after all"

Edward paused, before sighing in complete and utter defeat "I guess it's ok…"

"Hooray!" Winry exclaimed, causing her to twirl around like no girl had done before "I'm going to give Granny a call!"

Hughes chuckled and pat the defeated and grueling golden haired alchemist on the back "Yeah, she'll make a grand wife"

"Don't tell me that!" Edward hissed. At least before Hughes began to gush over his family once more

"Not as grand as my wife though!" Hughes exclaimed with glee, waiting to thrust his living pictures of his beautiful wife upon every living person he could find. So, as Hughes gushed over his loving wife and daughter once more, another loud grown ripped through the room, unnoticed by everyone within it.

It was safe to say Alric was going to have a ball of a time at Rush Valley.

* * *

"Have a safe trip everyone! Give me a call when you get to Dublith, alright?"

Lieutenant Hughes yelled over the roaring train, ready to speed off from the station. Although the station was packed to the brim with various people going about their daily lives, the Lieutenant's voice was heard loud and clear by the Elric brothers, the Whitewood siblings, and of course the blonde mechanic.

"Yeah, will do" Edward lazily replied, waving his hand carelessly into the air.

"Say hi to Elicia and Mrs. Hughes for me, will you?" Winry ashes, poking her head out of the train carriage.

"Of course! They'll be delighted to know!" Lieutenant Hughes explained "I hope to see you soon Whitewood!"

"Of course," Alric shrugged, stretching out his arms "I'm sure you'll give me a speech about your wife and daughter when I get back to Central"

"Come on, don't be like that," Hughes replied, furrowing his brows with his infectious smile "Call me, will you?"

"Alright" Alric nodded in defeat.

"Have a nice day Lieutenant Hughes! Stay safe!" Lysandra chimed in as the train finally roared away from the station.

"You too Lysandra!" Hughes yelled, cupping his hands as the train pulled away from his being. Nearly all watched as his body became nothing more than a speck in the distance, along with Major Armstrong and his nothing else to do, the teens settled into their seats and let the landscape whiz right past them. Alric simply let his emerald eyes lazily wander to the window, letting the fast landscape become nothing more than a streak within his eyes.

"Why did you decide to visit your teacher all of a sudden?" Winry asked, cutting the silence

"Two reasons," Edward explained, yelling himself up from his seat "First, we've kind of been on a losing streak"

"What? Your going because you want to get stronger?!" Winry exclaimed in disappointment, letting her accusing eyes glare into Edward "What are you guys?! Muscleheads?!"

"Idiot! It's not that simple," Edward snapped "We just don't want to get stronger psychically, or should we say mentally too...right?"

"Yeah," Alphonse nodded in agreement "Anyway, we feel like we I'll be able to get stronger if we visit our teacher"

Edward clenched his first, causing it to squeak angrily under his white glove "I want to become far stronger than I am now"

"and your second reason?" She curiously asked

"I want to ask about the Philosopher's Stone. The truth hidden within the truth. We never found out the meaning to those words, after all…Teacher might know something about it. We can't be caring about how we're going to look out there. We're going to ask teacher while being prepared to be killed...ask…ask…" Edward's face fell as each word became more drawn out, letting suspect and worry full his voice. When the anxiety became all too unbearable, he clutched his big, hefty brother for safety.

"She's gonna kill us…" Edward squeaked.

"I wish I had a girlfriend before I died…" Alphonse mumbled in utter defeat, clutching Edward for his own safety.

"What kind of person is your teacher?" Winry curiously asked. With only a pitiful whine and whimper as her response, thoughts of the worst things imaginable swirled through her head.

"Well," Alric grained, folding his limbs behind his head "if your teacher is as scary and powerful as you're portraying him to be, I'm sure a little fighting will get us what we need"

"Her…" Edward barely mumbled.

"Hm?" Alric asked, raising his brow.

"Our teacher is a woman. Not a man…" Alphonse corrected, barely letting his voice ring out from his armor.

"Ah, sorry. Still, male or female, I think with a little bit of compensating we'll get what we need," Alric explained "Some tips to get stronger and of course the Philosopher's Stone"

"Right…" Edward muttered doubtfully, already feeling his teachers seething glare bore a hole into his skull and her foot firmly in his stomach.

So, as the Elric brothers wallowed in self pity, Alric continued to blankly stare out from the thin piece of glass they called a window, letting his sister's words run wildly through his head. It seemed each time his eyes glazed by the anxious Alphonse, a pang of urgency stabbed through his heart. Whatever guilt he didn't feel before began to rise up from his throat. He wasn't exactly guilty because of his stinging words (he still didn't regret that), but rather how he hurt his dear, old sister. And Alphonse, of course.

And it was still something he needed to fix.

Alric rose his head up curiously towards the bulky suit of armor "Alphonse"

Alphonse rose his head up from his puddle of worry and anxiety "What is it?"

"Can I speak to you? Alone?" Alric asked, jumping up from his seat. Alphonse seemed to glance at his brother as though it was for approval. Seconds later however, with no real answer from the clearly anxious golden haired teen, Alphonse nodded.

"Sure" Alphonse doubtfully responded. Without another word, the two disjointed siblings crawled their way down the train carriage until they reached their destination outside, consisting of a small iron fence and the train tracks that crawled rapidly behind them on the last train carriage.

Alric glanced down to the thick, metal floor, letting his thick, black hair snap and crawl wildly around his face. With a sigh however, he mustered up all of his promises to his sister and stared up to the curious suit of armor

"I apologize for the way I acted in the hospital," The black haired teen finally admitted "I was being selfish and didn't think that my words resonated with you like that. Enough that you thought you weren't even human"

"No, it's alright! It wasn't you!" Alphonse defended, raising his hands up "Truthfully, it was what my brother said a before we went to the Fifth laboratory. And what Barry the Chopper said"

Alric furrowed his brow in thought "Right...he said your memories were made up and such…"

"Right. I think what you said before you…" Alphonse trailed off, as though he refused to finish that particular sentence of dread and death.

"Killed him" Alric replied ever so casually, as though he brushed off the weight of his crime.

"Yeah…" Alphonse continued anxiously, staring into the black haired teens regretless, emerald green eyes "What you said was similar enough to what Barry said. So I connected them together"

"Then again, I'm sorry," Alric nodded, raising his hand "Can you forgive me?"

Alphonse paused before he finally took his free hand, causing their metal limbs to creak and squeak as soon as they clasped one another "I can"

"Ah, great," Alric nodded with a light smirk. Without another word, he let his eyes wander to the outside world, and watched the landscape whiz right past him.

"Do you regret what you did to Barry the Chopper?" Alphonse asked, cutting through the slicing wind.

Alric didn't even pause.

"No, I don't. And frankly, I probably never will"

* * *

 **Thank you roseeyes, Guest, and Guest X for your reviews!**

 **roseeyes: It was about time Alric got a little reality check for his behavior, so who better to do that than his own sister? It's going to be GREAT writing his attempts to be...well, less menacing and more friendly (considering how his confidence basically gets flushed down the toilet and he's just a nervous mess like any other teen).**

 **Guest: I wouldn't say that chapter was intense per say but more...developmental. Especially got Alric. But, I could easily see that it was intense.**

 **Guest X: I'm very glad you're willing to stick around! As for a Ed and Al vs. Alric and Lysandra senario...I can't really say much it that will nor will not occur. I don't want to give away what will occur within my fic .so...sorry. It may happen, it may not happen. You'll just have to wait and find out.**

 **I apologize that I missed last weeks update! (And that this chapter is sort of short from what I usually do...). It took me a while to write down the transcript for this chapter (I usually found a pre written transscript online and just reviewed it with an episode. There wasn't anything like that for this chapter so I had to write it down. It took me hours!). In combination of school work, I didn't have much time to wrk on this chapter either. But, I finally have it out!**

 **I think I'm going to take a small hiatus (a couple of weeks, probably miss a couple of updates). I'm feeling a bit burned out from going so hard on chapters each week, as well the difficulty of trying to include some 2003 FMA aspects within my fic. With the sudden addition of having to write out the entire transcript for each episode (which takes much more time than I realized), I just need a little break to outline future chapters and perhaps work on a few other projects that are in need of a serious update or two. So, see you in a couple of weeks!**

 **I hope you enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	14. A Debt to Bury

_|Chapter 14: A Debt to Bury|_

* * *

"Rush Valley!"

These were the only words that continued to shriek out of the awfully excited blonde mechanic. They also were the only words that continued to crawl annoyingly into Alric's very uninterested ears. Not even the sounds of boring conversations or squeaking metal could drown out Winry's utter excitement. No matter how loud they really were. For the moment however, the bubbly, cheerful teen drew his attention away from the automail freaks. And the scorching weather. And potential pickpockets.

It was safe to say Alric disliked Rush Valley with a burning passion.

"It sounds busy" Lysandra commented, clinging onto the sleeve of her brother's coat.

Alric shrugged, only to lift his eyes to the various people that lined the dirt streets of Rush Valley, as though they were literally glued into the town and its culture "I suppose. On the left, there's a couple mechanics working diligently on automail out in the open. On the right, it looks like an older gentleman is attempting to negotiate the price of an arm. Judging from his violent arm movements, it's not going so well"

"Is he wearing automail?"

"Can't tell, considering he's wearing thick, long sleeves. I assume, though"

Lysandra sighed, letting her brother's tired, defeated tone run through her ear. It was a voice she was unfortunately accustomed to "...You want to go home, don't you?"

"I want to to be anywhere but here…" Alric groaned, flipping his head back. The blonde mechanic however, had a much different impression of the town littered with automail and dirt.

"Automail, automail, automail~, I'm so blessed!" Winry continued to sing, skipping across the reddish-brown dirt road like a little bubbly school girl. The black haired teen couldn't help but sigh as Winry's hungry eyes drew to a lavish piece of automail, fixated behind a window. Like a moth to a light, she raced to the storefront and gently pressed her hands against the glass "It's a Gotts eleventh year model! I never thought I'd be able to lay my eyes on one! As expected from the holy land of automail, this place is packed!"

Edward let his annoyed golden eyes wander to the unusually curious mechanic, causing him to stuff his hands firmly into his coat in defeat. Even he knew he couldn't draw away a mechanic from their craft. Like no one could draw him away for his mission to get his and his brother's bodies back.

"Where's the fun at staring at automail all day in this hot weather?" Edward groaned, snapping his head back in annoyance "We should have left Winry and headed straight to Dublith!"

"If you didn't have such a soft spot for her, we would have" Alric replied bluntly as ever. His words were enough however to make the golden haired State Alchemist stop to a standstill in the middle of the dirt road, and let his slightly threatening eyes crawl up towards Alric.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Edward asked, raising his brow.

Alric shrugged, as though he didn't notice the slight seriousness within Edward's narrowed golden eyes "Friends always have a soft spot for eachother. Don't they?"

"...You don't have many friends, do you?" Edward came to a sudden, yet frank realization.

"Er…" Alric blinked in complete surprise, causing him to let his creaking fingers crawl anxiously to the back of his neck. Whatever blank expression he once had upon his face was instantly washed away in a giant wave of surprise, letting his face flush slightly punk in embarrassment.

"No…" Alric reluctantly admitted. As fast as his anxiety came, it soon washed away as he violently jabbed his hands deep into the pocket of his coat and stomped on further head, helplessly dragging his sister along like a rag doll "Moving on,"

Alric sighed, shifting his slightly blushing face right to the ground "You should be wearing your gloves"

"Why's that?" Edward asked, letting his golden eyes peer into his gleaming, automail hand. Sure, a frosty orange colored drink sat comfortably within his thick, metallic fingers, but Alric knew that wasn't the thing that mechanics would flock to.

"You're essentially a very bright light to an abundance of moths. Automail mechanics will flock right to you, trust me," Alric explained "Keep your hands firmly in your pockets and drag your legs across the ground. It will drown out the squeaking"

Edward raised his brow, only to take a quick sip of his drink "Tell me you're exaggerating. They can't possibly be that bad"

Before the golden haired alchemist knew it, a random sturdy hand cupped around his arm and practically ripped his red sleeve down, all to reveal the automail brilliance that was connected to the absolutely shocked Edward. His widened, golden eyes slowly peered up, revealing a very interested one-eyed man. At least, one of his eyes were automail-like, of course.

"This automail is quite a rare make…" the man muttered, flipping Edward's hand around as though it was limp

"Hey po-" Edward was about to snap and violently yank his arm away, only to have a wrinkled, old hand lay its grimy little fingers upon his arm.

"You're right, take a look everyone!" An older, frailer man called out, as though Edward's limb was a diamond in a rough, waiting desperately to be examined and preyed upon. Edward could only recoil and and pratfalls crawl into a ball as a horde of mechanics began to hungrily circle around him, waiting to dig their rough hands into arm.

"Hey, hey whoa! Cut- hey cut it out! I said cut it out! N-no! Noooo!" The golden haired alchemist yelled and protested, but not even the blond mechanic could pull him out of his predicament. Seconds later, his clothes went flying into the air, leaving the utterly helpless Edward nothing but a pair of boxers to his name.

"Everyone's so eager to learn!" Winry grinned, as though not a thing was wrong in the world.

"I warned you..." Alric mumbled, carefully cupping his desirable automail hands around his mouth.

"GET OFF ME" Edward furiously yelled, prying every eager mechanic right off of him like a leech. With a sigh, he swept his clothes right off the ground and proceeded to slap his pants back on "Geez...this is why I can't stand automail mechanics...hm? Ummm...huh?"

Alric couldn't help but raise his brow as the relief on Edward's face drained right away, replaced by utter terror as he dug his hands through his black pants. As the seconds rolled by, Edward desperately shoved his hands into every little crack and crevasse his pants had.

"What's wrong?" Alphonse asked, peering down at his brother.

"I can't find it…" Edward mumbled in horror.

"Find what?" Winry questioned, slightly turning her head in curiosity.

"The sign of a State Alchemist..." All the blood drained away from the poor little State Alchemist as he unfurled his pockets, only revealing a thin layer of cloth "My pocket watch! I can't find it!"

It only took seconds for dread and terror to fill the eyes and souls of not only Edward, but very one who surrounded him. In merely an instant, a sharp, panicked cry ripped through the air, as though the golden haired alchemist's pocket watch was the holy grail. Or even the Philosopher's Stone. In the very least, Edward was filled to the brim in panic and terror.

He didn't even want to think about mumbling a word about it to Mustang. That was just suicide.

Alric released a tired, hopeless groan, only to run his tense fingers through his hair in utter frustration "What did I tell you?"

"You said I'd be surrounded horde of automail mechanics!" Edward suddenly snapped "Not robbed!"

"What did you expect?" Alric angrily shrugged, narrowing his emerald green eyes.

"NOT TO BE ROBBED!" Edward yelled "Ugh, what am I supposed do do know?!"

The sturdy, mechanically enchanted one-eyed man suddenly split the seething glared between the two frustrated State Alchemists, by a simple raise of his curious hand "That's probably Paninya's doing"

The anger and frustration that came over the two alchemists suddenly faded away as they snapped their eyes immediately to the man.

"Paninya?" Edward raised his brow at the name.

"She's a pickpocket who goes after tourists" an alder, frailer man explained, wiping his greasy hands with an equally oily cloth.

"Paninya…" Alric trailed off, raising his hand curiously to his chin in though "That name sounds...familiar"

Edward suddenly lunged forward towards the men his golden eyes hungry for information "Any idea where she is? It's something really important!"

The man lazily shrugged, only letting it a glimmer of suspicion leak into his eye. Although Edward didn't quite catch on, the eagerness from his face sold faded with each words that escape the man's mouth "I don't mind telling ya…

"but in exchange…" the older man continued, happening to let his sight wander down to Edward's sleeve. Seconds later the two men whipped out their glorious tools and hungrily stared into the golden haired alchemist, as though he was nothing more than a slab of meat ripe for the taking.

"If we could just take a look at your automail one last…" the man let his fingers crawl and attach into the air, like creepy little spiders of joy that's wanted to spread themselves out upon Edward's little body.

So, it was only natural for Edward to transmute the sharpest, largest weapon he could out of his prized automail arm. As deadly was his arm was however, it couldn't match up to the utter bloodlust and hatred that sat within the small golden state alchemists eyes. Or, at least as much hatred a small, young teen in nothing but a pair of pants could muster up. Yet, it was enough to make the two men shrink up and cower in absolute fear.

It almost made Alric question if any automail mechanic in one of the worst deserts in Amestris had ever been in had a spine at all.

"Ah-T-take it easy there kid…" the man stuttered, not letting his wide, fearful eyes even blink sassy from the angered kid that was Edward.

Suddenly, Alric stepped forward and raised his calm hand into the air "Old man I'll make you a deal. If you tell us where the girl went, I'll let you have a look at my automail. I think you'll be pleased"

The one eyed man and elder man's eyes widened like dinner plates once Alric slipped off both of his thick, black gloved and pulled down his protective sleeves, revealing his fresh, lightly used automail. Although it wasn't coated in rust as it always was, a few small scratches showed a bit of wear. Nonetheless, it caused the men to instantly shift their attention to the rather anxious black haired teen, throwing Edward right to the side.

"She's at a automail mechanic shop by the name of Dominic's place!" The men exclaimed, crawling ever so closer to Alric's limbs.

"What was-" Edward was about to say, before his words were cut off instantly.

"I'll catch up," Alric announced, refusing to meet his surprised golden eyes "I've lost my watch before. It's a pain to ask the military for another one. Think of this as...a favor that's being repaid. For looking out for my sister back at the Fifth Laboratory. So...er...thanks...for that..."

Edward, even Lysandra could only blink in surprise. Although Edward knew Alric as much as he did about Alkahestry (which, was little to nothing), he knew he wasn't the most...apologetic individual in the world. So many things told him that well enough. Barry the Chopper. Tucker's estate. The hospital room. All of that told him he looked out to save his own skin. So a sign of gratitude, let alone a favor was almost foreign to the golden State Alchemist.

He didn't dwell on it too much however. He had a watch to find.

So, after his surprise faded from his mind a soul, Edward let a face of determination coat his face, causing him to nod willingly "Right"

"Good luck Ed. I'm going to stay with brother" Lysandra announced, raising her hand into the air "He's going to need the support..."

Dread and regret hit the anxious black haired Alchemist like a truck. Even he knew it was far too late to go back on his offer.

Mainly because the mechanics already began to drag his helpless body into their shop towards his ultimate doom.

* * *

"...Can I have my leg back now?"

Alric continuously asked this question like a song that couldn't quite leave his head, waiting to actually be recognized by the oblivious automail mechanics. Not a word went through the mechanics ears, and were utterly transfixed upon the ware of his automail leg. The mechanics hungrily circled around the leg, as though they were a horde of vultures ready to pick and dig into his very inedible leg.

So, with no answer, the black haired alchemist gave a heavy sigh of boredom and buried his hand into his face. His remaining hand.

It was a miracle the mechanics left any limbs on him.

Lysandra couldn't help chuckle, no matter how hard she tried to hold it in.

Alric lifted his brow "What?"

"It sounds like they're having a lot of fun with your automail. I hear lot of laughter and a lot of mechanical words I don't know. I guess they don't get much excitement from anything else" Lysandra replied.

"Yeah, I suppose so. You would think they never have seen automail"

Lysandra let her small smile linger upon her face, letting it stare down into the dusty floor "You did good brother. Very good"

"For what?" The black haired alchemist asked, proceeding to lean back into the wall.

"Making sure Ed finds his watch, of course" the black haired girl replied with a playful title of her head.

"I didn't do much. I simply...suffered in his place"

A chuckle escaped Lysandra, causing her to lightly tap what she assumed to be her brother's shoulder (which happened to be his chest) "Oh, don't be so dramatic! They only took your leg"

"And my arm as as well" Alric pointed out.

"Wait, they took your arm too?!"

"You didn't notice?"

"Well…no...well, I'm blind!"

"When it suits you"

For what seemed like in ages, a bound of laughter went in between the two siblings, even causing the collected Alric to crack a genuine smile. It felt like forever to the black haired alchemist since he felt genuine. It was as though the smile was foreign to his face, no matter how many off handed smirks or fake smiles he plastered upon his face. They were only meant for one person of course: his dear little sister. However...

He couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt within his own heart, as though he was lying to himself. He felt genuine with Winry at that train station. And Alphonse in the train itself. They were feelings that weren't simply created because his sister told him so. They were feelings that begged to crawl out of Alric like a nest of wasps waiting to burst out of their nest. Whether he liked it or not.

"Anyways," Lysandra continued to chuckle "I see how hard your working to be a better person. I hear it in your words and your actions. I really appreciate that, you know"

Alric let a weak, lopsided smile frame his face "It's a little hard at times, but I'll do anything for my sister"

"Thank you, but…you should be doing it for yourself" Lysandra replied "I won't always be here, you know"

"Where are you going so soon?" Alric raised his brow.

"Not soon!" Lysandra snapped back "I mean...after I get my sight back and you get your limbs. It's only natural we'll go our separate ways one day. What do you want to do?"

"I've told you multiple times. I'll get revenge on anyone who messed with us," Alric chuckled "I have a list, you know. What about you?"

"Hm…" she mumbled, tapping her chair "I'm not quite sure yet. I just know I'm not one for revenge anymore. It won't solve anything for me at least. But, if it makes you happy, you should go for it. I won't stop you"

Alric blinked in utter surprise. It was the answer he certainly didn't expect one bit. He expected a long, boring lecture from his sister about how revenge wouldn't amount to anything and how he should be like Edward and Alphonse. But...acceptance? That was the last thing on his mind.

"You...approve?" Alric continued to stare in shock "That's unexpected"

"And why is that?" Lysandra raised her brow curiously, letting the smile fall from her face "I just want you to be happy"

"You certainly didn't approve when I killed Barry"

"That's different"

"How exactly?"

"Because you hurt others when you killed Barry. Whether you knew it or not...you hurt Al," she sighed "I know I said revenge isn't for me, but I don't mind it if it's towards deserving people and them alone. You and I both know seconds chances are the fool's choice. And for the naive. I know it might be hypocritical but...I'd hate for you to hurt someone innocent when you get your revenge. Maybe someone you'll love"

Alric let out a deep, tired sigh, letting his emerald eyes wander out towards the window. He let his mind wander as aimlessly as the people who scouted the dust streets "I think understand. I'll be careful, then. If I'm doing this for you, will you do a favor for me?"

"What is it?"

"Be careful who you protect," Alric softly warned "I know Ed and Al are all about not only getting their bodies back, but also looking out for the innocent as well. They get on my nerves once in a while because of that, but I'm more worried when you're with them. I don't want you to get hurt protecting someone who might not be as good as they seem. As much as I want to be positive, we both know the word isn't what it's cracked up to be in storybooks"

"I know how to protect myself brother, don't worry" Lysandra smiled.

"I know that but remember, you're just as innocent as the people your protecting. You don't owe anything to the world, just as the world doesn't owe anything to you"

Lysandra blinked, letting her brother's words crawl about in her mind. As much as she wanted to internally fight against his words, she knew he was right. Not everyone is as innocent as they portray themselves. It's not as black and white as she was raised to to believe.

Like herself and her brother.

"Paninya!" Alric suddenly shouted into the air, letting his voice ring through the small shop. No matter how loud his yell was however, the mehcbiacs refused to even blink away from Alric's gravely automail, which was in nothing but pieces.

"Huh?" Lysandra blinked "Why are you shouting the name at the top of your lungs"

"No, that's not it," Alric shook his head vigorously "I remember her now. She's that dark skinned girl with two automail legs. You know, the girl who's under Dominic LeCoulte's watch. Ms. LeCoulte's ex-husband?"

That's right!" Lysandra suddenly shocked her gust into her palm "How did I almost forget!? I've been thinking about the stone so much that it slipped my mind! We almost forgot to visit your mechanic!"

"I think that's alright…" Alric mumbled "Winry is doing a fine job with my parts"

"Well, we should visit her," Lysandra pointed out, jumping to her feet "She did give you automail and she let us stay at her place back then. It's the least we can do. Where was her shop again?"

"Hey, excuse us!" Alric shouted, waving his remaining hand into the air. In what seemed like a miracle, he finally drew the elderly mechanic away from his precious arms, which was nothing more than a handful of scattered pieces "Do you know where we could find the shop of a woman called Ms. LeCoulte?"

It seemed at the mere question, the oblivious bliss that once framed the man's face faded away into sorrow "I'm sorry to say she passed away 6 months ago. She caught something and that was the end of that. She was a sweet gal, I'll tell ya. It's a wonder why Dominic let such a woman get away"

"She's...dead?" Lysandra mumbled in shock. She let her body collapse limply into the chair, as though she was nothing more than a rag doll waiting to be dragged away into nothingness "She can't be...she took care of us when grandma threw us out…she didn't care what we did…"

Alric used remaining arm and cupped it around his sister's trembling body, and processed to shove her into his chest. Although not a tear escaped her shaking body, he knew sadness loomed over his sister like a blanket of darkness.

"She was a great woman, wasn't she?"

* * *

The first thing that filled the Whitewood siblings tender ears was screaming.

Not screaming, per say, but the high pitched sound of delightful shrieking. It vibrated through the door as Alric was about to rap upon its wooden exterior, causing his metal fist to freeze right into place. It was a familiar shriek, one that came with a certain blonde mechanic when she dared to lay her eyes upon anything remotely related to automail. So, with a curious tilt of his head and the raise of Lysandra's brow, Alric decided to skip the formalities and fling the door right open.

After Alric and Lysandra bargained for his automail back (which consisted plenty of frustrated threats and a transaction or two), they made their way up the rigorous mountain and finally landed on the doorstep of Dominic's shop. Although they were nearly dead tired from the walk up the unusually hot mountain, they weren't overcome by the need to face plant into the floor and sleep the pain away.

Winry's joyful cry was enough to snap them awake.

Right as Alric snapped the door open, he was meet with scene of Winry fawning over Paninya's exposed automail legs, along with Edward and Alphonse tossed into the background of her amazement. Alphonse sat contently, as Edward slouched in utter frustration staring at the oblivious dark skinned teen with automail legs. And perhaps anxiety.

"I've never seen craftsmanship like this before!" Winry exclaimed holding her face in utter joy "The suspension-would you just take a look at this brilliant work of art! It's incredible!"

"Uh..." Edward anxiously mumbled, raising his arm "do you think we can have a talk about my watch?"

With nothing but Winry's excited squeals, Alphonse shook his head "It's no use brother"

"What's going on here?" Alric asked, raising his brow ever so slightly as he quietly shut the door.

Edward could only stare at Alric with an absolute dead-pan expression, as though any of his fiery anger and frustration was sucked out of his tiny body "Automail…"

All the black haired teen could to was groan in response. And in agreement.

"How did it go?" Alphonse pipped in curiously.

"It was alright. Nothing special" Lysandra replied in a rather dry, empty tone, enough to draw in the suspicious metal suit of armor. It was a tone that any idiot could notice. Yet, before Alphonse could peep another word, Winry continued her delightful tirade.

"The work you've done is simply fantastic!" Winry exclaimed, aggressively focusing her attention upon a thin faced man with a wide pair of glasses and a simple rag tied around his head "You're a wonderful engineer!"

The man, Mr. LeCoulte violently shook his head and raised his arms in defense "No, don't look at me miss, I wasn't the one who made them"

"I am" a deep, demanding voice radiated throughout the room, causing all attention to immediately shift to a rather dark skinned man with heavy wrinkles upon his face. Although his age didn't quite leave him looking like the most joyful person in the world, his thick crossed arms and his deep, embedded frown was more than enough to leave a not so positive impression upon the teens.

Except for the Whitewood siblings, of course. They simply knew he wasn't a capable of any emotion related to joy.

Alric furrowed his brow in surprise, causing him to raises himself off his chair and let his emerald eyes stare into the man's empty, black orbs.

"Dominic?" The black haired alchemist asked in utter disbelief.

The man, Dominic paused before he released an snort of disappointment "That's Mr. Dominic to you"

Before Alric could even speak, let alone snap back, the very uninterested Dominic was whisked away by the bubbly Winry and her infatuation with automail. So much even that Edward was stripped to nothing but his classic pair of black pants as Dominic carefully examined his automail arms and legs, leaving Alric to steam quietly within the background. Along with awfully quiet sister and the content Alphonse.

Dominic carefully snapped up Edward's arm, letting metallic fingers creak and squeak into place. "This arm seems a bit heavy"

"Yes, I guess it is…" Winry frowned.

"Considering the strain of his outfitting, it may explain why his growth is stunted" Dominic blunt explained.

"Hey shut up!" Edward snapped, ready to give it his heart and soul to defend his small stature. However, a gasp escaped his being as the study automail mechanics words finally settled within his hot head "Wait a minute, are you telling me if my automail is lighter I would grow taller than this?"

Dominic raised his finger to his chin in thought "It is a possibility…Here, take a look at this girl"

With eyes sharp enough to cut through the thickest of wood (and perhaps automail), stared towards the uninterested Alric and demandingly flicked his fingers towards him. As Edward dreamed blissfully at his poetental height, Alric dragged himself towards Dominic and proceeded to strip to his bare skin for what seems like the 5th time that day.

"I'm getting tired of doing this…" Alric groaned as he plopped onto a chair.

"Stop complaining you stump," Dominic snapped back with little sensitivity "Remember who gave you legs to walk and arms to eat"

The black haired alchemist glanced up to the cold man, revealing his empty, emerald green eyes "It wasn't you old man, if that's what you're implying"

Dominic paused, letting his cold glare freeze over Alric own empty eyes. It was nearly impossible for anyone to tell which was more threatening, considering their icy glared were fixated so strongly upon their faces, as though. Seconds later however, Dominic let out a shallow grunt, causing him to curl his hand into a tight fist and let it fall upon Alric's unsuspecting head.

Pain was one way to stop Alric's seething glares.

With a sigh, Dominic yanked the unsuspecting black haired alchemist's arm towards him, causing it to squeak and groan angrily. His eyes flickered in briefly with emotion that disappeared within a blink of an eye "What happened to your automail boy? This isn't her work"

"Its my work, Mr. Dominic" Winry reluctantly replied, letting anticipation and anxiety fill her being. She nervously twisted and twisted her thumbs, eagerly waiting the blunt mechanics equally frank thoughts.

"For his body, this arm is also quite a bit heavy," Mr. Dominic commented before he grabbed Alric's other free, limp arm and pulled it towards himself "Feel the difference"

Winry anxiously grabbed Alric's arms, as though he was nothing more than his automail arms and legs. Her eyes flickered widely in surprise as she gently let his automail slide and bounce within the palm of her hands.

"I never noticed this before…" The blonde mechanic mumbled. In seconds however, her face lit up in utter joy "Right! That settles it! Mr. Dominic! I beg you! Please let me be your apprentice!"

"Not a chance girl" Dominic bluntly replied, crushing her hopes and dreams in a mere instant.

"Maybe you would like more time to consider the idea…?" Winry mumbled, her voice absolutely beaten of joy and excitement.

The mechanic simply shook his head "No need, I don't take on apprentices"

Edward ever so carefully crept up to the blank mechanic like the little opportunist he was, rubbing his hands eagerly together as though he was about to start a raging fire "I understand but maybe...you could take some time out of your busy schedule to teacher how to make automail to make me taller…"

" _Can it,_ you little flea" Dominic snapped. In a mere instant, Edward's delighted, excited face fell straight to the ground like a wet brick. All the hope he had for his height was simply washed away by two mere words, two words that circled wildly in his head. Although it wasn't the first time the gloomy State Alchemist heard words as such, it was certainly the first time 'little flea' was introduced.

So, was Edward wallowed in self pity and sadness, Dominic simply excused himself and headed straight to the door. He slammed the door behind him, leaving the mess he created all alone.

Mr. LeCoulte nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head "Sorry about that, my old man can be pretty stubborn"

"That's painfully obvious" Alric sighed and plucked his dress shirt off the ground and proceeded to button it once more.

"Do you have something against my old man?" Mr. LeCoulte asked, raising his brow in condition and curiosity.

Alric paused, letting his glare nearly bore a hole into the floor only inches from his shoes. Seconds later however, his glare softened and he let out a deep, tired sigh.

"It's nothing important," Alric finally said "I'll stop and you can just forget about it"

And so not another word was shared between him nor the mechanics son, as though Alric's answer was more than enough to suffice for nearly anything. In reality however, Mr. LeCoulte was far more intelligent to let something like that slide for nothing. It was about his father after all.

The black haired alchemist was only a kid. And an arrogant one at that.

It wasn't long before Alphonse began to drag the very gloomy Edward out of the entrance along with Lysandra, leaving Paninya and Winry with Alric. Edward. All the golden haired alchemist was so was mumble and drown himself into the cruel words that were spewed out of Dominic's mouth. Not even his cruel thought we're strong enough to let his legs walk on their own.

"A little flea...a little flea...he called me a flea…" Edward muttered under his breath, letting the cruel words circle wildly around his heart and soul.

"Does your brother usually get like this when he's called small?" Lysandra asked, tugging upon Alphonse's large apron "He just gets angry from what I've heard"

Alphonse shook his head and proceeded to glance down at his gloomy brother "This isn't too odd. I know you've seen him get mad when someone pokes at his height, but he gets like this too"

"A little flea…" Edward continued to mumble like the little sad alchemist he was.

A little whimper vibrated through the hallway, causing Lysandra to perk up her head in curiosity. She squinted, as though the sound was nothing more than her imagination. Yet, when the weak whimpers continued, she tilted her head in curiosity.

"Do you hear that?" Lysandra asked, squinting in thought.

"Hear what?" Alphonse replied, halting to a stop in the middle of the hallway. Sure enough, when his armor came to a screeching halt, the small whine filled his armor, as though she stuffed yet another small cat within his hunk of armor he called a body. Curious, he poked his head into an open room, revealing a rather tired looking woman with a large, swollen stomach.

"Excuse me, but are you having a baby?" Alphonse politely asked, creeping into the room, causing Edward to snap out of his bout of utter depression.

The tired woman, Mrs. LeCoulte replied with a weak smile, letting her hands rest upon her large stomach "Why yes I am"

"So you think…" Alphonse could almost blush brightly with glee, as though his hard, cold face was capable of emotion "Would it be alright if I touched your tummy?"

"Go right ahead" The woman laughed, letting the curious hunk of armor lay his hand upon her belly. Right as his fingertips touched her apron, a small, surprised gasp escaped him. Before Edward and Lysandra could even say a word, Mrs. LeCoulte gently guided their curious hands to her stomach, letting her warmth caress their hands. Edward couldn't help release a lopsided grin as tiny heartbeat gently pulsated against his fingertips, as though the child yet to be born was right within his hands.

"It's so...warm" Lysandra gently muttered, letting a tiny smile frame her face.

"It's like there's a miracle in your stomach" Edward finally said, drawing his hands away.

Alphonse nodded "Yeah, we were like this in mom's tummy once upon a time too"

"...Yeah. We all were" Lysandra commented "A mother..."

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 **Thank you GUEST X, Guest (1), roseeyes, lizyeh2000, and Guest (2) for your reviews! They are always appreciated!**

 **GUEST X : I'm glad your liking this so far! As for the prediction of Alric...I can't give any details on what will happen later in the story. That would give away the plot, so sorry about that. So, as a general statement,, I won't answer any questions about what will occur in the future for my fic. I'll address updating issues below, so stay tuned!**

 **Guest (1): Thanks! I really do appreciate your comment! **

**roseeyes : Thank you! I really wanted to have Lysandra and Alric clash, so I'm happy that you pointed that out! It does lead to potential development for Alric and Lysandra, which is nice (And I'm VERY excited for the Izumi arc!)**

 **lizyeh2000 : Thanks for following! I'm glad you find interest in my story.**

 **Guest (2) : I'm very glad you pointed this out. His...well...not so friendly personality was intentional. Although I probably wrote Alric and his personality more aggravating than what I originally thought in my head, I liked him for that (He's probably one my favorite characters I've written about). I didn't want him to be good, but rather be an antagonist with his own goals and values. If you dislike him, I don't blame you at all. Hell, if I met him in real life I would avoid him like the plague.**

* * *

 **I FINALLY got another chapter done. I thought my hiatus was going to be relatively short, but issues came up. I managed to write enough where I felt satisfied to post (I know it wasn't the entire episode, but I didn't want to leave this fic on hiatus too long where it seemed like it just abandoned it). Since shook is starting to pick up a bit more (Since I'm actually doing classes that relate to my major), I'm going to have to do updates every two weeks. I'll of course attempt to do weekly when I can, but that would be rare at this point in time. Updates however will ALWAYS be on a Friday.**

 **Wow, I can't believe we hit over 50 followers! Thank you to all of you who read this little fic of mine! I'm glad you all find interest in Alric and Lysandra Whitewood and their adventures with the Elric brothers!**

 **I hope you all enjoyed! Reviews are appreciated!**

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


	15. Important Update!

So...it's been a while since I've done a update in this fic...

Before I begin, I really want to say that I'm immensely sorry for leaving this story to collect dust and leave this story hanging. To be truthful and blunt, I lost my inspiration for writing for a while. I grew to like drawing and such, to the point where I shifted my focus form writing to art. As a result, I stopped writing completely. But, something is nagging at me to get back to complete this.

I honestly love this story, and it's a shame that I left it at such a spot where there's still a lot to uncover and explore for not only this world of FMA, but also the Whitewood siblings. So, I decided that I'm going to revive this story. In other words, I'm going to actually start writing again.

I can't promise regular updates like I have before due to what my life is now, but there will be chapters coming out soon. I'm also going to go back and edit some of the previous chapters and change various things, like spelling, dialogue, and some key plot points. If you're new here, feel free to catch up! If your not, some plot points may change, and will be listed at the end of each chapter depending on how big the plot point is.

I hope you'll stick around! And thank you for being so patient with me!

 **\- X-Xepher-X**


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